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Should I Go to North or South Goa?

Rachel Jones — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 12:00:32 +0000

You might have noticed Rachel wrote mostly about North Goa on her blog. That is because she lived there. While Goa is the smallest state in India, it still takes four hours to drive along the whole coast. Which means if you’ve only scheduled a few days here, you may want to choose between North and South Goa. Rachel once answered that question here, but we thought we’d give you a more thorough, updated guide below with our local Goa expert, Jules!

I, Jules, also currently live in North Goa at Villa Alina and spend most of my season up North, though occasionally I treat myself to a much needed getaway to the South. For me, North Goa will always be home, I am a city girl born and bred in London so the fast paced life and busy streets appeal to me. The South is the countryside of Goa, the quieter side with less going on and more time for rest and relaxation.

How to Decide if You Want to Go to North or South Goa

Many people emailed Rachel about coming to Goa for one week or two and want to know if they should stay in the North or head down to the South. The answer to this depends on a lot of different factors from how much time you have to your interest to what kind of holiday you want. The North and the South are two very different places sometimes.

Depending on your schedule, you may be able to explore both North and South. However, if you have a limited time you will want to make sure you spend your time wisely. Getting around without your own means of transport is not the easiest as Uber doesn’t exist in Goa, we don’t have a metro, taxis are extortionate compared to the rest of India, and renting a moped is great but also comes with a long list of precautions. So making the right decision about which area you stay in is important as you will want things to be within walking distance.

Here are some questions that may help you decide:

Which is closest to the airport?

The airport is midway between North and South Goa, so you’re pretty much evenly distanced depending on how far North or South you choose to go.

What kind of holiday are you looking for in Goa?

If you’re looking for more to do and see…

North Goa is the busier side with a lot more happening. Here you can experience the buzz of daily life in almost every area with a much bigger selection of parties, hundreds of restaurant options, cafes, bars and shopping markets. The North is your best bet for those that want a mix of actually doing things as well as beach hopping along the coast.

If you’re looking to just relax on the beach…

If you’re in the mood for rest and relaxation, sunsets, and swims, than South Goa and its more beautiful and secluded beaches are for you. The beaches in the South are quieter with less options of a late night party, so if candle-lit dinners on the beach, spending your days stretched out on a sun bed and struggling to decide whether you want a fresh coconut or a cocktail, then I would suggest the South. There are still restaurant options and the occasional party but not in the same variety as North Goa.

Are you looking to avoid crowds?

Yes…

There are quiet beaches both in the North and South of Goa but the South has a lot more and is where you want to be if you need a break from the madness of India.

Not Really…

If you are travelling solo and want to meet people then the North has a lot more hostels to choose from and a bigger selection of activities to do. I personally find lying on a beach is more of a solo activity and a harder place to make new friendships. If you want to be able to dip in and out of the busy-ness of India either at the local markets, bars or beach shacks then the North has a larger selection and bigger buzz.

Comparing North and South Goa: A Breakdown

Old Quarter Hostel, Panjim

Which is better for backpackers on a budget?

In India, accommodation is pretty cheap wherever you go unless you are splashing out on a 5-star hotel. As for Goa there are options for all different budgets but of course it also depends if you are travelling solo, in a couple or as a group.

North Goa

As mentioned above there are a lot more hostel options in North Goa which offer a bed for as little as Rs 500 a night. There are lots of cool options with great communal areas to meet other backpackers. For hostels check Jungle Hostel, Papi Chulo, Old Quarter, Funky Monkey or Prison Hostel.

South Goa

The South is more of a stilted beach hut experience than a budget backpacker scene. The further you stay back from the beachfront the less you will have to pay and I would recommend taking a walk along your chosen beach and bartering for the best price. The later in the day it is the cheaper they will be. Beach huts can range from Rs 1,000 to 5,000 per night.

Anahata, Mandrem Beach

Where to Stay in Goa

There is a huge selection of places to stay in Goa. We have everything from hostels, guesthouses, homestays, jungle huts, eco resorts and luxury villas to 5-star resorts. It is impossible not to find something to suit your needs, check out our updated guide on where to stay in Goa for a longer list of our favorite spots.

North Goa

There is a larger variety of options in North Goa for all different budgets. Places here are not as beachfront as they are in the South and you can stay a lot more inland in towns and even villages. Anjuna is the best area for backpackers, Mandrem has a more hippie chic vibe and Calangute is the epicenter of the madness.

South Goa

South Goa has a few 5-star resorts in very secluded areas for people who don’t want to venture out. It also has a lot more choice of the famous stilted beach huts and falling asleep to the sound of waves. Here most places will be a few steps away from the actual beach as their USP is a sea view.

Agonda is one of the most beautiful beaches in Goa, Palolem is the busier area, and Patnem is the quieter neighbor. The South can be explored in one long line with the coast being the main area of civilization for tourism. Do note in the monsoon, South Goa is basically closed as seas become rough and the shacks, huts, and guesthouses are all taken down.

Better for Sightseeing?

Goa is not full of as many bucket list-must-sees as most other areas in India. The landmarks could be done all in one day if you really stretched yourself but you will find like many others, you end up getting distracted by the beaches, normal life or needing to try a different cocktail in every beach shack.

North Goa

North Goa has a lot more choice of cultural landmarks with Old Goa being the main attraction. If you have been to other places in India then you will notice you will have mainly seen temples or mosques. Goa is full of beautiful churches because of the Portuguese influence. If you want to spend your days doing some exploring then North Goa is where you should be and you should see Panjim, the capital of Goa, Fontainhas – the amazing colorful Portuguese streets within Panjim and the Spice Plantation – I always send my guests here. And of course exploring the different beaches along the North coastline.

South Goa

South Goa is not for the kind of traveler who needs to get up and do a lot of things throughout the day. Here your activities are based around the beach and are likely to include sunbathing, reading, beach walking, kayaking, boat trips, chasing sunsets and snoozing. Nothing wrong with these activities but if you are like me and get bored of lying on a beach all day then maybe the North is for you.

Tip: If you want to see the famous cows at Agonda, they arrive before every sunset and are fed the vegetable waste from the kitchens along the beach!

Where & What to Eat

The options for food in Goa are some of the best in the whole of India. We have every single cuisine possible and you could finish a two week holiday without eating any Indian or Goan food. There is difference between Goan and Indian food. If you have traveled around India you may or may not have noticed key differences between dishes in each state. I, of course, don’t recommend this because all types of Indian and local food are the best but, just to highlight if you can’t look at another plate of daal and rice, then you have come to the right place.

North Goa

North Goa has the largest selection of places to eat, a lot of them better than most places you would find in your hometowns. There are beach shacks, fancy restaurants, pizzerias, sunset dining options, juice bars, vegan spots and even a few restaurants that offer shows and more of an late-night experience. Check out La Plage, A Reverie, Gunpowder, Calamari, Fat Fish, Thalassa, Bean Me Up, Luna’s Ristorante, Sublime, Artjuna, Eva’s Cafe…I could literally go on forever. On Rachel’s last trip, she ate at a lot of places in North Goa.

South Goa

South Goa has a few standout spots to check out but here you will mainly be eating at beach shacks and enjoying the view rather than being blown away by food. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean food is bad in the South, far from it, but there are just not as many well known places or options to choose from as the North. Whilst in the South don’t miss Home, Zest, Martins Corner, Zeebop, Jaali Cafe, Dunhill and Indah Desa.

For the best local Goan food try a small beach shack and order FishCurryRice – said in this way. This can be found in both North and South, just make sure its locally made which includes lots of coconut.

Hideaway, Vagator

Where to Party

Goa is well known for its party scene and is comparable to the Las Vegas of India. Well, I think so anyway! We have late night parties that go well into the morning, trance parties that you should not miss out experiencing, 24-hour casino boats and a party option for most nights of the week! If you’re coming to experience the party scene, don’t miss these nightlife tips before you come.

North Goa

North Goa is full to the brim with options for parties. There is somewhere to go every single night of the week whether it is a bar, a club or a beachside party. If you are looking for busy club scenes, cheesy music, techno parties, live music, going to more than one club in a night or all of the above then the North is for you. Nearly all of the best nightclubs in Goa are located in the North and there are options depending on which kind of vibe you are going for. Check out Curlies, Shiva Valley, Hilltop, Thalassa, Soro, Hideaway, Cavala, Cohiba, Showbar and more.

South Goa

The party scene in South Goa is very limited with set days for parties at only two main venues which are Leopard Valley and Neptune’s Point. I am sure these would be cool parties to go to but there is no guarantee that they will be busy. Here you should be happy with either an early night or taking over a beach shack and having drinks and cocktails with a group of friends.

Where to Relax on the Beach

Goa is a coastal state lined with beaches from North to South. Though much of the west coast of India has some secluded beautiful beaches, Goa is the designated beach holiday destination. There are a lot of beaches to choose from and I wouldn’t recommend trying to visit them all.

North Goa

North Goa has a variety of beaches to meet peoples different needs. If you are looking for a busy beach, water sports and a large selection of beach shacks then Baga, Calangute and Candolim beach are for you. If you want the typical tourist vibe with a few beach shack party places then Anjuna and Little Vagator/Ozran Beach are for you. And if you want a more quiet, hippie, bohemian vibe then Morjim, Ashwem and Mandrem are for you. The furthest North is Arambol where you will find a lot of backpackers, drum circles and a trance scene.

South Goa

For the most beautiful beaches head South where you will find silkier sand, calmer seas and more peace and quiet. Majorda and Benaulim Beach are empty with not much else to do nearby. Agonda and Patnem are quiet with sea facing beach huts and a beautiful stretch to walk along. Palolem is the busier part of the South with glorious palm trees lining the whole shore leaning towards the sun. Butterfly Beach, Cabo De Rama, Cola and Galgibaga are the even more untouched areas where you are unlikely to bump into many other people at all.

Kranti Yoga, Patnem Beach

Where to Do a Yoga Retreat

If you are coming to Goa and plan to book a yoga retreat then you will want to decide whether you will prefer to be in the North or South. Yoga can be found all over Goa and if you don’t want to commit to a full on retreat there are lots of options of drop-in classes or even hiring a teacher for private classes to come to you.

North Goa

If you want a busier retreat with the option of more to do after your classes in the day then the North has a few options that I have heard about from friends – Dunes or Anahata in Mandrem and Purple Valley Yoga in Assagao which is more inland. There are lots of options for drop in classes at the many yoga shalas, cafes, or even resorts.

South Goa

The retreats in the South are likely to be a lot more chilled out. There’s less temptation to go out and drink and a lot more peace and quiet to really give your all to the retreat. I know I would personally choose to do a retreat in the South. I feel secluded beaches and more alone time go hand-in-hand with a yoga retreat. Here you could try Kranti Yoga School, Bamboo Yoga Retreat or Lotus Oasis Yoga all found on Patnem Beach.

Where to Go Shopping

If you have been traveling around India you may feel as though you are all shopped out! But you will change your mind once you see the shops in Goa. You can find everything you need from the cliche Goa tourist stuff for your friends at home (elephant trousers, Goa fridge magnets, anklets, henna etc) to the amazing independent designer clothes you won’t find anywhere else.

North Goa

North Goa is lucky enough to have all the shopping markets. These markets have a huge variety of everything you could possibly want all in one place. The Flea Market is the famous daytime market every Wednesday in Anjuna, the new Goa Collective Bazaar happens every Friday in Vagator and The Saturday Night Market is in Arpora. Each market is different and if you can you should make time for all three. There are also very cute boutique shops you must visit. Rangeela, No Nasties and People Tree are in Assagao; Paperboat is in Sangolda; Alchemy is in Mandrem, and Studio Arpora is in Arpora.

South Goa

South Goa has a few great shops but not the same selection as the North. Here you can find some hidden gems at the roadside stalls but you will have to spend some time looking. There aren’t any particularly large markets though sometimes there are pop ups at Leopard Valley. Boutiques in the South to check out are Bunti and Jaali Cafe.

Hopefully, you now have a clearer idea about whether you want to go to North or South Goa! And if you’re lucky enough to have time for both, you now have some recommendations on where to go, what to see, and, most importantly, what to eat!

For More Goa Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Goa Travel Tips

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Pin it for later!

Originally published Sept 2017; updated Sept 2020

The post Should I Go to North or South Goa? first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Should I Go to North or South Goa? appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

75 Unique Things to Do in Goa You Don’t Want to Miss

Jules Nazareth — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 12:00:17 +0000

Back in the day, Rachel once wrote a bucket list of fun things to do in Goa. While you can still do a lot of her recommendations today, many suggestions are no longer open! We’ve given her original list a much needed update to help you plan your own trip.

I, Jules, have lived in Goa now for 4 years and have been lucky enough to have family and friends visit quite a few times over the years. I have had to become lead tour guide for a lot of groups and because of this I have a lot of Goa’s must-dos, must-sees, must-eats, must-haves all up my sleeve. Below are the best things to do in Goa – some slightly random, some very important, and some only a “local” would know.

Planning your trip to Goa? Don’t miss our ultimate Goa ebook with everything you need to know about the area! You can also buy our ultimate India ebook for even more insider advice!

Agonda Beach, South Goa

Classic/Touristy Things to Do in Goa

1. Visit the Spice Plantation.

I highly recommend a trip to the Spice Plantation in Ponda to walk through a tropical plantation and learn all about the spices that are the backbone to most of the food you will be eating throughout India. It really is very interesting and you get lunch cooked with the same spices from the plantation. I would not recommend riding the elephants as they seem to be the only ones left in Goa and they are not treated very well.

2. Check out the old churches in “Old Goa”.

“Old Goa” is one of the only places you will need to dress appropriately. Cover your knees and shoulders, mainly directed at females, so worth bringing a sarong or a cardigan you can put on when needed. This can be done on the way back from the Spice Plantation. Have a look at the Patron Saint of Goa, Francis Xavier’s, embalmed body and take the drive up the steep hill to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount for a beautiful view over Goa. If you would rather join a tour try this one.

3. Get a photo of the cows on the beach…

…make sure they aren’t eating from your plate as you snooze on your sunbed and if you are feeling adventurous maybe even try a cow selfie. Cows in Goa are usually pretty friendly and love a little stroke or neck scratch but watch out for the bulls and their horns!

4. Visit Mapusa Market

Mapusa Market is a big bustling market full of bright colors, weird, wonderful, sometimes terrible smells and lots of shopping opportunities. Friday is the busiest day of the week for Mapusa Market but you can go any day, the earlier the better to beat the heat. Make sure you visit the fabric shops, flower section, fruit and veg, fish market if you dare and the meat section if you can stomach it. Here you will see lots of ‘typical Indian scenes’ – ladies sat in beautiful saris behind piles of their local produce – a great day out for any budding photographers!

5. In Arambol, check out the sweet water lake.

It’s just near the beach and is pretty cool to take a dip and some photos. It has become quite a common spot for tourists now so you are likely to share the lake with a lot of people. Please remember to take your rubbish with you when you leave. Here’s a little guide to Arambol.

Palolem Rock, South Goa

Adventurous Things to Do in Goa

6. Try SUP (stand up paddle board) at Vaayu.

Vaayu in on the road facing Mandrem Beach. You can also rent surf boards from them or try kite surfing classes. Their cafe, Prana, serves up delicious breakfast burritos, fish tacos and smoothies. This is a very cool place to hang out for the day.

7. You can go white water rafting.

Not even many locals or Goa residents know you can go white water rafting in Valpoi. This takes place in the off season when the rivers are full and raging. This would be great fun in a big group or a good way to meet new people and see a different part of Goa.

8. Have a surf lesson at Surfwala.

Surfwala is between Mandrem and Arambol. You can hire out surfboards or get yourself an instructor to help you conquer the not-so-large waves of Goa. You can spend the day chilling at Surfwala.

9. Try bungee jumping at Mayem Lake.

There is a new attraction in Bicholim where you can bungee jump off a 55M platform over Mayem Lake. This is one for the adrenaline junkies. You won’t find me anywhere near here!

10. Go-Karting in Arpora.

There is a Go-Kart track in Arpora next to The Saturday Night Market. Rachel was a Go-Kart lover; she and Ben used to test out a track in most places they visited together around the world. This one in Arpora is not really the most exciting but is a fun option to change it up from the usual Goa activities.

11. Kayaking at Patnem Beach.

Rent a kayak on Patnem Beach and go for a little paddle. And by little I mean a slightly strong paddle as the sea can be tiring. If you paddle out towards the South of the beach where the sea meets the river, it’s lovely and still. I was once surrounded by a mum and her baby dolphin here. Kayaks can be found to rent at most beaches in South Goa.

12. Take a B:Live Electric Bike Tour.

Try an electric bike tour where you can literally sit back and power the bike with the flick of a wrist. They have lots of different location options including Old Goa, Panjim, Chorao and Divar Island. If you are a bit nervous on the bike I would suggest one of the islands as the traffic on those is pretty non existent and you get to go on a little ferry across the river. Tours can be booked here.

13. Climb up to Chapora Fort.

Take the steep climb up to Chapora Fort to see the view over Vagator Beach. It isn’t the most exciting fort but it is a nice activity to get you away from the sun bed. And fits in perfectly with a deserved juice from the famous Chapora juice shop which is spoken about below.

14. Climb the huge rock in the sea at Palolem Beach.

Swim out to the huge rock at Palolem Beach, attempt to climb up, view the beautiful palm tree lined beach from a different angle and jump back off into the sea. It is easier to climb the rock at high tide and be careful of cutting hands and feet!

15. Go for the perfect beach run.

This may not sound adventurous to some but actually a great beach run can be a game changer for your day. Especially if it is at sunset or you are lucky enough to see dolphins – this happened in Agonda. Not all beaches in Goa are good for running and a lot of time it depends on tide timings as running on a slope isn’t so good for your knees. You can run any time of the day at Morjim, Mandrem or Palolem and only at low tide on Calangute, Patnem and Agonda.

16. Volunteer with the animals!

Rachel wrote about a few of the options here. This is pretty adventurous as you are likely to be out of your comfort zone whether it is helping out with animals or people. There are lots of great organizations needing your help and these add some really rewarding experiences to your travels. It can even be something as simple as taking a few dogs for a walk.

17. Get a tattoo at Inkfidel with Duncan.

If you are thinking about getting a tattoo in Goa please don’t go to one of the 3 million tattoo shops we have on every corner of every street. Duncan is the guy you need to speak to and the man who has drawn all over most of the residents of Goa. His work is great and he can help with any designs or ideas you want to create. Obviously only get a tattoo if you really want one as it is there forever! Check out @inkfideltattoo on instagram.

18. Go crocodile hunting in the mangroves.

Ok not actually hunting, no crocodiles will be harmed but go searching for the crocs that believe it or not, do live in Goa and hang out by the mangroves of Chorao and Divar Island. I did this trip recently with Uday, The Crocodile Man and we saw a HUGE sleeping crocodile. It is also just a lovely boat trip around the island. Contact Uday on +91 9021918613 to book.

Thalassa Sunset, Siolim

Relaxing Things to Do in Goa

19. Watch the sunset from Thalassa Restaurant.

Thalassa has moved to a beautiful spot in Siolim right next to the mouth of a river and a glorious sunset view. This is a bit over budget for a backpacker but if you had to treat yourself to a holiday experience whilst backpacking this is it. Dress up and eat lots of delicious Greek food.

20. Enjoy the lounge chairs at Antares in Little Vagator Beach.

This was a secret of Rachel’s, that if you eat at Antares you can use their sun beds which face the sunset and they have their own staircase going down to Little Vagator Beach. No seems to use these beds so you could have them all to yourself.

21. Take the long drive up North to Keri Beach.

Keri Beach is the last beach before Goa becomes Maharashtra. This is a very secluded area with not much going on at all. If you want the beach to yourself, take a picnic and your own umbrella and enjoy paradise for the day.

22. Let yourself have a foot massage on the beach.

Depending on which beach you are sat on, lots of ladies will come around asking to massage and thread you…give in, let yourself be pampered! You can also buy sarongs, anklets and other things you probably don’t need or want but it’s always nice to give them a little something. Just be firm that once you are done, you are done or they could end up sitting by your bed for the rest of the day offering another massage just in case you change your mind!

23. Go to the “secret” beach.

I won’t name it here, but please check out Rachel’s article and review for the hidden beach resort or you can skip and just use this link to book and see where this resort is ;)

24. Go to Snips Salon & Spa for a massage.

It’s much cheaper than back home and is fantastic. Treat yourself to a massage, hair spa, manicure, pedicure or all of the above if you are feeling fancy! There are two salons in North Goa now – Calangute or Porvorim.

25. Spend the day at Nilaya Hermitage’s swimming pool.

Pay Rs 500 to spend the day at Nilaya and use their amazing swimming pool. This is my favorite swimming pool in Goa. Have lunch here, try the grilled fish, and soak in the beautiful view over Arpora.

26. Get an amazing gel manicure to last your whole trip!

If chipped nails stress you out then go to Tanya at Sparaddise in Calangute where you can get the best gel manicure you will ever have. This is an inside local tip that most visitors won’t know about. Girls, thank me later!

27. Watch a sunset from Vagator Hill for a full panoramic view.

This is not such a common tourist spot as you have to know where to park your car but if you drive past La Rive in Vagator and leave your car at the bottom of the hill you can walk up to the top and have a beautiful panoramic view from Anjuna to Morjim.

28. Go bird watching at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.

Take the car ferry over to Chorao Island and have a walk around Salim Ali bird sanctuary. There are lots of beautiful species of birds in Goa with lots of them being seen around the quiet mangroves. You can also take a boat trip around the island which is a great way to see a quieter side of Goa.

If bird watching is your thing you could also try this bird watching tour.

29. Hit up Fort Aguada Taj Hotel for drinks.

Take in the amazing view over an old Fort, sit in a fancy chair and order yourself a fancy cocktail at the Taj. This is a lovely hotel so dress up and try and make it for sunset.

30. Stay at Jamboree Creek!

If you want a cute jungle hut and swimming pool at decent prices, this is it. They have daily yoga classes, meditation classes and private access to the beautiful Mandrem Beach. Book a stay here.

Food Stalls at The Goa Collective Bazaar, Vagator

Foodie Things to Do in Goa

31. For traditional Goan Food…

Strangely it is actually quite difficult to find good Goan food in Goa. Try Bhatti Village in Nerul which resembles the kitchen of an old Goan Grandmother. The menu changes depending on what is available. And Nostalgia in Panjim which has recently opened in Fontainhas selling all the Goan delicacies. Try the xacuti, prawn rissois and beef croquettes.

And if you make it to The Goa Collective Bazaar, I have a food stall called Go Local where you can taste freshly made local food only on Fridays. The caldin, cutlet pao and tendli pickle may change your life!

32. Try “rava fry fish” and squeeze lime all over it.

This can be found all over Goa and is a must have if you are trying something new. Seafood in Goa is usually fresh and delicious, so try some prawns rava fry, mussels rava fry, fish rava fry, everything rava fry. It is basically fish coated and fried in spices and semolina. Yum!

33. Taste a bite of South India at Gunpowder in Assagao.

This was Rachel’s favorite restaurant that she always made time to eat at and was conveniently located not so far from her house. The veg curry and chili pork ribs were Rachel’s go-to but the chicken curries are what most go for. I love the andhra prawns and potato ishtew. And definitely get a couple of heavenly malabar parathas!

34. Eat Goan Sausage, Ros Omlette Pao, and drink a Sweet Lime Soda.

Goan sausage is apparently the Indian chorizo. Try a Goan sausage dish at a restaurant or a choriz pao at a street side vendor. You can also try a ros omlette pao which is Xacuti (coconut based curry) gravy with an omelet inside a soft pocket of bread known as poie which is the local Goan bread. Yum! A fresh lime soda, either sweet, salty or mixed is exactly what you need daily to keep you hydrated in the Goan sun. If you’re really branching out you can try the local liquor, cashew feni, which in my opinion smells like nail varnish remover. You are guaranteed to have a fun night and a sore head in the morning drinking feni cocktails.

35. Chill out and have a juice at the famous Scarlet’s juice center in Chapora.

This juice center is famous in Chapora with lots of locals hanging out here. This is a fun people watching spot, a great place to meet new people, or to just watch the world go by.

36. Take time for a long lunch at La Plage.

This is a beautiful lunch or dinner spot set back on the beach at Ashwem. It usually opens in December and closes in March so if you are in Goa in that window make sure you don’t miss out. It can be busy on weekends so you will need to book – which you rarely need to do in Goa unless you are a big group. The tuna is their famous dish but everything on the menu is amazing. Their Bloody Marys are very unique with an added curry flavor and are a huge local favorite. If you are with a big group or you love dessert, order the chocolate Thali, you will not be disappointed!

37. Eat at as many food stalls as possible at The Goa Collective Bazaar – The Friday Market.

The Goa Collective Bazaar which takes place every Friday from 4pm onwards at Hilltop in Vagator, is not just a market for shopping but also has some great cocktails and a huge food court. There is food from all over the world and lots of seating available. Come with an empty stomach and have a little nibble from as many as possible. Some recommendations are Eddie’s Khao Suey, Morgan’s Pizza, Bean Me Up, Irori Sushi, Freshly Baked Cupcakes, Falafels, Burrito Boys, and, of course, Go Local.

38. Have a coffee at Old Quarter Hostel in Fontainhas.

If you are planning to explore Fontainhas, the Portuguese style streets in Panjim, then stop for a coffee and rest your feet at Old Quarter. Bombay Coffee Roasters operates here so if you feel you are in need of an actual coffee and can’t bear to look at a Nescafe instant ever again, this is where you need to be.

If you would like to join a tour of Fontainhas, you can book here.

39. Have a beer at Joseph’s Bar.

Joseph’s Bar is a very old school hangout in the small back streets on Fontainhas in Panjim. It is a tiny bar with 2 tiny rooms that give you the real Indian feel. Sit down, have a beer, have a snack, and speak to the owner about how long he has been running it and all the issues they currently face with the neighbors and noise complaints.

You could also join this bar crawl of Goa which takes place in Panjim.

40. Eat a traditional Portuguese lunch or dinner at Venit.

Venit is down another great, tiny Portuguese-style lane in Fontainhas. You will feel you like you are in Portugal if you choose to dine on one of the tables with the balcony overlooking the street. The walls are covered with wise words from travelers who have been and gone and the menu has some of the best traditional Goan/Portuguese food.

41. Taste some typical Goan snacks from Mr. Baker in Panjim.

This bakery has been around since 1922 and has some delicious traditional Goan snacks you can munch on while you explore. These are the kinds of snacks that are served at all weddings, anniversaries, birthdays all over Goa. The options include beef chop, prawn rissois, beef croquette, veg chop, meat/veg samosa and lots more. If you are feeling adventurous try the dessert, Bebinca, which is a Goan cake that uses 24 eggs!

42. Treat yourself to a whole new eating experience at A Reverie.

Book yourself a table at A Reverie in Calangute where your taste buds will be in for a treat and you will be 100% wowed by the menu and the food presentation. They have amazing cocktails and dishes usually have a twist. You could feast alone on the starters as these are the most fun but the mains are also delicious.

Try the mushroom chai, Mexican pani puri, Goldrush coconut chips and the chicken lollipops. If you manage to have space for dessert the de-constructed Banoffee pie and the chicken or the egg are amazing. This place comes with quite a steep price tag compared to what you will be used to paying elsewhere but is a lot cheaper than what you would pay in your hometown. Highly recommended.

43. Try some of the best gelato in town.

Head to the local hangout in Anjuna, cream choc gelato, for the best ice cream in all of Goa. Yep in all of Goa! They have a nice seating area outside with a few cute resident dogs, including Tripod, the 3 legged dog that Rachel rescued after he was hit by a car. Try the salted caramel, dark chocolate and the delicious fruity sorbets!

44. Eat the famous chicken at the Saturday Night Market.

This chicken is genuinely famous in Goa. The queues are always huge and if you decide to line up you will know why. Ask anyone where the chicken man is and they will point you in the right direction – note he is only at Ingo’s Saturday Night Market.

Seasonal Things to Do in Goa

45. Celebrate Holi in Goa.

Holi is always a lot of fun in India. In Goa, it is nowhere near as crazy as other states as for some reason different neighborhoods celebrate it on different days and the Hindu community isn’t as comparatively large in Goa. However, you can always find some colorful powder to buy and some people to have a little color fight with. The best option is to go to an all day Holi party. Try La Rive, Sinq Pool Party or Hilltop. And of course you need to wear white!

46. Hit up the carnival in Arambol.

Arambol is probably the hippiest place in Goa although it wasn’t back in the day (Anjuna was). They have their own carnival every year in February. Head up to Arambol to celebrate the hippie lifestyle with drum circles, live music, hula hooping and lots of fancy dress.

47. Make sure you’re here on a Saturday for the Saturday Night Market.

There are now two different Saturday Night Markets, both in Arpora which can be confusing. The original one is called Ingo’s and is located just next door to the go-kart track. This is my preferred option as I know my way around it and there are some great food and shopping stalls here.

The newer market, Saturday Night Bazaar, sometimes has a fun fair – which I wouldn’t recommend – and always has a full car park. Be careful as some taxi drivers will pretend the other market is closed. This usually begins beginning of December. It has a great vibe and is a great evening out with shopping, live music and food.

48. Don’t miss the Panjim Carnaval.

This “Carnaval” takes place along North Goa as different areas compete for the best floats. The parade begins early in the day so make sure you go early to get a spot and witness all the creative and sometimes very weird and random floats. This is a great day out and a real treat if you are here during your travels. End the evening in Samba Square with live music and lots of snacks and drinks.

49. Go Narkasur hunting in October/November.

A Narkasur can only be found in Goa on the evening before Diwali. It is a strange tradition where different areas build the biggest demon possible and then burn their creation at a silly time in the morning. It is amazing to see the efforts people put in and the size they are able to build these monsters. I went on a little car journey with some friends to see what people had done. Each Narkasur usually has a group of people surrounding it dancing to some terrible EDM until the early hours!

Hideaway, Vagator

Nightlife Things to Do in Goa

50. Definitely experience a trance party at Hilltop or Curlies OR Shiva Valley or Soro.

There are a lot of trance parties in Goa. A lot. Goa is so known for this way of life that you really should experience the scene for yourself. Check wug.com for dates and this post on the best party places in Goa.

51. Watch some live music at Hideaway.

If trance is not your thing, like me, then head over to Hideaway in Vagator for some great food, great cocktails and an amazing vibe. They usually have a live band on a few nights a week so check their Instagram or Facebook page for updates. This is where you will find lots of locals and residents spending their weekends.

52. Go to the silent disco at Neptune’s Point on Palolem Beach.

At the furtherest South point on Palolem Beach is Neptune’s Point where they have a weekly silent disco every Saturday. Depending on the time of the season (not during monsoon season), it could be packed or it could be pretty empty. Either way, experiencing a silent disco on a beautiful beach in Goa is always going to be a win.

53. Catch a late night DJ set at The Goa Collective Bazaar – Friday Market.

The Goa Collective Bazaar which takes place every Friday always has a few live acts on throughout the evening. As the evening goes on and some of the stalls start to pack up the techno/trance DJ set begins until about 2:00 AM on good days. If you are in the mood to carry on, head to La Rive which is a short 5-minute drive away.

54. Hit up Soro for some old school Hip Hop on Thursdays only.

The only authentic Hip Hop night in Goa that actually plays good tunes. Head over to Soro in Assagao for a fun and very busy night.

55. Watch a great Indian dance show on Wednesdays.

This is a slight secret but if you head over to Chalston Beach Resort on a Wednesday evening and have dinner at their restaurant you can also watch their live Indian Dance Show for free. The show has quite a few different outfit changes as two amazing dancers take you through the different types of traditional dances found within India. You are encouraged to get up and move for the last one so wear your dancing shoes!

56. Hit the dance floor in Cavala on Fridays for retro music and some salsa.

If you are looking for some old school retro music then Cavala is where you need to be. Filled with lots of local regulars who have been dancing at Cavala for years, you will have a great time singing along with the band and watching the famous salsa dancers.

57. Check the ever-changing evening DJ line up at Prana Cafe.

Prana Cafe is not just great for lunch and a smoothie bowl; they also have select evenings with cool DJ lineups. The DJ area is pretty cool with a large lit up tree as the backdrop. Try the Piña Coladas and Tropical Rum Cocktails.

58. Don’t miss the shows at Thalassa on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Table bookings are essential for Thalassa. Probably the most famous restaurant in Goa, it is buzzing nearly every day of the week. Sunset tables are usually booked way in advance but if you are coming to party then the book the evening slot and stay until it closes which can sometimes be 3:00 AM. They have a large dance floor, a huge cocktail menu and a few shows that take place through the evening. Fire throwing, a very special Greek dance, a robot laser dance show, and sometimes the infamous male belly dancer. This place is not really backpacker budget friendly but you are definitely in for a fun night.

Shopping Things to Do in Goa

59. Buy some spices and tea as souvenirs.

You can’t come to India without buying some of the very colorful spices from the very cliche picture you hopefully took at the market. You’ll see them so much that it’s hard not to and of course they make great gifts. See what else to buy in Rachel’s India souvenir guide.

60. You better be here on a Wednesday too!

The Wednesday Flea market is one of the most famous hippie markets in the world. It’s located in Anjuna leading up to the beach and goes until sunset. It is a huge market that is very easy to get lost in. You could easily spend the whole day here but due to the heat it is better to get there early, make your way through the market, and then end up at Cafe Looda for a drink at the beach.

61. Buy an “India” scarf for the perfect souvenir from Fara.

These beautiful scarves are hand drawn onto silk and make great gifts or the perfect treat for yourself to remember your trip to India.

62. For more shopping, hit up Alchemy in Ashwem.

Fara (from above) and Studio TIA opened up a shop together called Alchemy, and it’s located in Ashwem. You can see some of her outfits here and check out her shop on Etsy too! These are beautifully designed pieces of clothing that you won’t find at home in your high street stores.

63. Get some clothing tailored and make your own fun designs at great prices.

You can take one of your favorite dresses to a local tailor who can copy for you in any fabric you desire. This can be great fun whether you want to make a suit, a new beach dress or the perfect festival shirt. Here’s how to get clothing made in India.

64. Visit Paperworks in Panjim for all your stationery needs.

This is a semi-secret shop in the far end of Panjim with a very confusing entrance. But once inside this shop will make you want to throw your clothes away and fill your bags with all the beautiful stationery they have to offer. Everything from beautiful writing paper, painted cards, wrapping paper to journals, diaries, bags. Everything.

65. Treat yourself to a trip to Rangeela.

This beautiful shop can be found in Assagao. Make time for a visit to see their beautiful collection of treasures the owners have found around India, Bali and on their travels to Africa. It is impossible to leave this shop without picking up at least one, if not more, treasure to take home.

66. Buy a secondhand book from Literati, the beautiful book shop in Candolim.

Check out Literati in Candolim for the perfect secondhand book for your travels. Or have a look through the shelves that line every single possible wall for the perfect brand new book. Books are a lot cheaper in India than in your hometown, so definitely worth buying them along the way rather than filling your bag. If the cafe is open, stop for a sweet lime soda and a sandwich.

67. Venture to the Friday Market for some premium goodies.

Yes, I have mentioned this market in nearly every section but it deserves to be here! It really has everything you will need for your Friday night out. So head to The Goa Collective Bazaar for your not-so-common shopping experience at Indian markets. Here you will find good quality items, one off designers and lots of premium goodies.

68. Buy some local art from Studio Arpora.

Check out Studio Arpora, the cutest gallery in Goa with the most beautiful paintings by Shireen Mody and the loveliest illustrations by her daughter Saffron. Prints can be bought that can be easily packed and added to your luggage. Don’t miss out on seeing Shireen’s palm tree series in real life!

Villa Alina, Calangute

Luxury Things to Do in Goa

69. For a “splurging out” stay in South Goa…

Try the beautiful Alila Diwa in the South. It was Rachel’s favorite 5 star hotel in all of Goa and she treated herself to a few getaways here.

70. Treat yourself to a Sunday Brunch at the Grand Hyatt.

This really is a special treat but is so worth it. Spend a lazy Sunday at the Hyatt in Bambolim. Fill yourself up at the mouth watering food stations and then roll yourself out to the sun beds to make the most of their lovely pool. I would recommend booking ahead for this one as it does get busy. Lots of 5 stars offer Sunday Brunch deals so if you don’t feel like trekking to Bambolim have a look at some of your closer options.

71. Stay at Villa Alina – perfect for larger group stays!

Villa Alina offers six bedrooms to a single group of up to 16 people. Treat yourself to a whole villa experience with your own private infinity pool, daily maid service, 24-hour security, sunset views, breakfast included and the comfiest beds in all of Goa!

Check here for even more luxury stays in Goa

Expat Things to Do in Goa

72. Consider renting a house.

If you do end up staying in Goa for a month or more, it may be worth looking into renting a furnished place rather than staying at hotels or hostels. You can look on Airbnb or you can just stay in a guesthouse until you find somewhere. Here’s a guide to renting in Goa. There are lots of cute little Goan houses available for long term rent at great prices.

73. Take some classes at Tito’s Whitehouse or Artjuna.

You can do kickboxing, yoga, pilates, and more. Classes are affordable and happen every week. It’s a great way to meet people who live in Goa.

74. Sign up to the Sensible Earth co-working space.

Sensible Earth is a beautiful spot in the backstreets of Porvorim. They are a co-working space dedicated to finding sustainable solutions to help the world become a better place. They have an amazing open space that allows the breeze to fly through whilst being surrounded by trees and all things green. This is also a great way to meet new and like-minded people.

75. Catch a movie at the Inox Cinema at Mall De Goa.

This is one of my favorite activities in Goa that makes me feel like I am back home in London. The cinema in India is way better than in London. Your chairs recline; you can eat mixed cheese and caramel popcorn (yes this is the best thing ever!); they have an interval in the middle so you don’t have to miss any of the movie for a toilet break; they usually have air conditioning (take a jacket it can get cold!), and the price tag for one ticket in London is about the same as going 6 times in India. Try it, it’s a nice break from the non-stop travelling if you have been on the road for a while.

Hopefully this list of things to do in Goa will keep you going for a long time! Let us know what you enjoyed or if you have any must do’s you think should be added. Enjoy!

For More Goa Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Goa Travel Tips

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Pin for later!

The post 75 Unique Things to Do in Goa You Don’t Want to Miss first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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Goa Nightlife: the 6 Most Popular Party Places in Goa

Rachel Jones — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:00:19 +0000

Goa nightlife is literally notorious for its party scene. However, it’s a very specific type of scene – one that Rachel, being an American, had no idea about since she listened to rap and country for most of her life!

After traveling around India and visiting Goa last, she heard of “Psy,” and wondered, “Is he a DJ?” (True story, lol). But Psy is not a DJ. “Psy Trance” is the music of choice in Goa, where it originated. The parties and raves here are unlike anywhere else. While Rachel shared the most obvious party places in Goa for you to try, we had her friend and fellow Goan expat, Jules, make sure everything was up to date and even add another popular spot!

Keep in mind that even if it’s not your cup of tea, it’s truly something to check out at least once. These parties are 100% part of Goa and Goans, Indians from outside Goa, and foreigners come together at them. It’s not something fake for tourism. In fact, these parties are as real as it gets! The “trance” parties are mostly Anjuna and Vagator but also in Morjim, Ashwem, and Arambol.

Most of these photos are from Rachel’s friend, Katja. She’s the designer behind Dadablui (who Rachel wrote about in this post) and has been partying at these places for decades- thanks, Katja!

Don’t forget to pick up our Insider Guide to Goa and Guide to India ebooks

A Goa Nightlife Guide: Top Nightclubs and Parties in Goa

1. HillTop

HillTop is definitely one of the best party places in Goa. It’s the most well known and also nostalgic. Just check out their Facebook page to see images of the scene and you’ll get how wild it is! Sundays are the night they have their biggest parties starting early at like midday until only 10 pm but some nights like NYE and Christmas Eve go on all night and through to the next day.

You’ll find backpackers, locals, old school Goa hippies who have been coming here for 30 years, and domestic Indian tourists altogether. It’s really not an “exclusive” vibe – people are welcoming and laid back at these things.

If you don’t want to dance there are sometimes ladies with chai on the sides (“chai mamas”) and you can go sit and chill and people-watch.

It does cost to get in! The cost is anywhere from 500 to 2,000 rupees depending on the party. Most of the amazing trance parties here are a little expensive. The DJ’s here are not just some random people, they are internationally known, amazing trance DJ’s and some people travel here just to see their favorites perform.

In January, they have their famous Hilltop Festival which is a 3 day Goan Trance festival with a huge line up of international DJs. This festival sees over 5000 people coming through the door. The stage decor is always amazing, so if Goan Trance is your thing don’t miss this one. It usually sells out and tickets should be bought in advance.

HillTop is up on the big hill in Vagator before you turn to go towards Ozran Beach. It is one of the originals and has been around since 1976!

2. Shiva Valley

Shiva Valley is on Anjuna Beach and is another really epic place for trance music and kind of one of the “original” places in Goa for this. It’s right next to Curlies, and it’s a beach shack like Curlies, but smaller. On Tuesdays, they have their big party which everyone goes to. This starts around 5 pm and there is a cover charge.

3. Curlies

Also on Anjuna Beach, Curlies is the more popular shack of the two side by side shacks (Curlies and Shiva Valley). I think Curlies is said to be the first ever beach shack in Anjuna Beach – but that could be a rumor! It’s been around for decades though.

Curlies is actually a pretty chill place to hang out during the day, too, and the food isn’t bad. We take friends here sometimes. After 5 pm or around sunset it becomes more of a party place though and sometimes goes all through the night. Of all the places on this list, Curlies is actually a place I do go to party sometimes, and it’s great that it’s open in the monsoon.

The party night here in on Thursdays and it’s free to come in. Keep in mind at all bars/clubs in Goa if you are a group of just men, you may be denied entrance. They try to keep the balanced men and women for safety and such.

4. 9 Bar

9 Bar is somewhere I tend to go really late at night after other parties have winded down. It’s a different type of place on Vagator Cliff. It has some outside parties but also this inside space which is a little dungeony since it’s soundproof.

It’s definitely that real “trance” vibe though and a cool place to check out; they get DJ’s here from all over the world. It’s near a lot of hostels and guesthouses, so tourists tend to pop in here for parties. A perk of this place is you get amazing views over the Arabian Sea! Every time I’ve been it was free entry, but there are some big parties where they might be charging a small amount to enter, depending on the DJ.

5. Chronicle

Chronicle is also on Vagator Cliff but down the cliff a little bit. It has levels and has amazing views. Chronicle isn’t really known for trance/psy but has all kinds of electronic music like techno and deep-house. Chronicle is also a restaurant and has a shop inside. I guess you could say it’s a little more upscale party place, and you can get more dressed up here if you want to. It’s actually new since I moved here and opened in 2013. You can check their Facebook page to see when they are having a big party and they do charge an entrance fee on nights like that.

6. Soro – Boshed

Soro, the name of the club, is in a sleepy part of Assagao and is an indoor area that has a pub vibe about it. On different days of the week they have specific nights on. One not to miss is Boshed. Every Tuesday, this techno party has its weekly resident DJs plus special guests. The party goes on until 3am and is always busy. Here you will find a younger crowd and lots of residents of Goa rather than tourists. Perfect for scoping out the true local techno scene. This party goes on throughout the year whereas most of the above will stop for monsoon.

And if HipHop is more your thing, the same Boshed organisers throw a Down n Dirty HipHop night on Thursdays, also at Soro.

So, which of these party places in Goa should you have on your bucket list?

Those were the top places to go for Trance, Psy, Techno parties (you can check their Facebook pages or WUG to see what DJ will be there). This really just scratches the surface though. There are so many more places to have epic parties in Goa like Monkey Valley or new ones popping up in Morjim. This guide is mostly just to show you the most well-known, classic, trance parties in Goa.

It’s definitely not my scene; although I’ve tried these parties a lot, I just don’t love this music. Wish I did! I love how it brings people together and all my friends are into it. But all these years have gone by and I’ve never gotten into it. (I think partly as I’m not much of a partier, in general, these days, so maybe when I was 20 I’d have loved it!).

You also have the commercial scene here in Goa with R&B, hip-hop, and Bollywood. This is mostly in Baga, Calangute, and Candolim at clubs like Sync, LPK, and on Tito’s Lane.

If none of this is your scene and you’re going to be in Goa for some time, you might want to check out my e-book, The Insider’s Guide to Goa, because in each beach/village, I write about nightlife and most include alternative nightlife like live music (which is hard to find here), Reggae, and more chilled out vibes that aren’t as hardcore or crowded as these.

Have you experienced Goa nightlife? Where would you recommend going?

For More Goa Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Goa Travel Tips

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Pin it for later!

Original Post: Oct 2017; Updated Post: June, 2020

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Money in India: How To Get Rupees & Handle Money While Traveling in India

Hippie in Heels — Sun, 24 May 2020 12:00:10 +0000

This is one of the more practical posts Rachel wrote as it something she was often asked about weekly. While she has a more general guide on how to handle money abroad, this one is specifically about money in India and how to handle rupees, the local currency.

With the help of Jules, our local Indian expert, we’ve added a bit of an update for 2020 to help answer all your rupee-related questions. Don’t worry, though, as Rachel originally said, this is a pretty basic post! Even in India, money is quite straightforward.

Still planning your trip? Check out our India ebook, born out of Rachel’s six years living and traveling through the country! It’ll help you plan every aspect of your trip all in one place!

Money in India: All You Need to Know

The 2016 Money Crisis in India

Back when Rachel wrote this post in 2017, India had just experienced a tourism disaster in late 2016 when the government announced they were pulling all 500 and 1,000 notes from circulation. She covered it here and had advice for visiting here. Of course, even back then, the issue had passed and was no longer a problem in India. The main result was that 1,000 notes were no longer valid.

Additionally, because of this money crisis, all over India a lot of places installed card machines. Today, it is a lot easier and acceptable to pay by card. Especially in restaurants, shops, cafes and other establishments. However, remember you will need cash for transport, markets, and other things along the way.

Two Types of Bills

Another point to remember is that after the introduction of the new 2,000, 500, and 200 notes came the newly designed 100, 50, 20 and 10. These are all a different set of colors as seen below and look a lot like monopoly money. Just to make it confusing for visitors, all the old notes, except the 500 Rs, are still in circulation and are valid.

Basically, there are 2 different possible notes for 100, 50, 20 and 10. You will get the hang of it and they are very clearly labelled with the amounts. Just watch out for the purple 100 and grey 500 as they can sometimes easily be confused!

How to Get Rupees BEFORE your trip to India

In order to prevent tax evasion, it’s nearly impossible to TAKE rupees out of the country. The max is 10,000 Rs.

In the USA, you can get rupees at AAA. Rachel’s parents got 50,000 Rs there before their trip to India. You can also order them through some banks but not all and, of course, many have different exchange rates.

In England, you used to be able to get Rupees at Thomas Cook. However, now you will have to call and ask your bank if they can order some in.

Some people will say that you cannot get rupees outside of India, but you can: Rachel has done it both through her small town bank and AAA in the USA.

Other than these countries, I do not have details further, but we would imagine it would be similar in Canada and countries in the EU. Check with your big travel agencies and also your bank as banks do exchange money, too. Don’t be alarmed if the wording is “buying foreign currency” as technically, that is what you are doing.

How to Get Rupees DURING Your Trip in India

In our opinion, there really isn’t any reason to stock up on rupees before you come. Rachel used to only ever keep around 10,000 Rs or less on her at all times in case she lost any or got robbed.

Banks/Cards to Use

The easiest things to do is to just go to the ATM and take out money at the airport. The fees are usually cheaper than exchanging at any of the foreign currency exchange counters. Bonus: If you use Charles Schwab, which is what Rachel used, they’ll reimburse you for any ATM fees and foreign transfer bank charges.

If you are coming from the UK then one of the best cards to have is Monzo. You can get the best exchange rate through here when paying by card and they waive ATM fees. The app that you should download for your phone lets you know exactly how much you have spent in your home currency literally a few seconds after payment or withdrawal. And if you are in a group and you all have a Monzo, it is a great way to keep tab on what everyone is spending and you can easily transfer money between each other.

Can you travel with foreign currency?

Rachel also used to travel with some US dollars in case of an emergency. Bring about $100 in $20s with you to save and put somewhere else hidden away.

It is also very easy to exchange home currency notes to rupees. In most tourist places around India they have money exchange windows where you can usually get a pretty good rate – much better than at any airport. There will be a man with a drawer full of money who will happily exchange your notes. It is better to bring higher denomination notes. For example $5 and £5 are not commonly accepted everywhere.

Of course if you are going off the beaten track, to a hill station, a village or high up in the mountains then money exchange may not always be as common. So stock up when you can in cities.

What is each bill worth and how much should I take out at the ATM?

As of the time of updating this post, May 2020, you can get the following bills/coins in India:

Coins: you can get lots of different coins here, but the largest, 10 Rupees, is worth 13 cents. I often leave any coins as tips when I travel.
5 Rs bill (also a coin) = 7 cents
10 Rs bill = 13 cents
20 Rs bill = 26 cents
50 Rs bill = 65 cents
100 Rs bill = $1.31
200 Rs bill = $2.64
500 Rs bill = $6.59
2000 Rs bill = $26.35

As you can see there is a huge difference between the 500 note and the 2,000 note which is the largest note. This is because recently the 1,000 note was taken out of circulation with no news that it would re-enter.

Because of this, it’s difficult to break 2,000 notes outside of fancy restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels. When you can, try to break this big bill so that you have smaller change. Having smaller change will also make it easier to negotiate when you are shopping.

Max to take out at an ATM

As we said, take out no more than 10,000 Rs rupees at a time which is the maximum amount you can take out at most if not all ATM’s. You could, of course, use the ATM twice in a row and take 20,000 Rs and pay the fee twice. We only recommend this if you have to do something like pay for a week-long hotel in cash. Otherwise, you don’t need to have that much on hand as 10,000 Rs will likely last you around 5-7 days in India. Here is a breakdown of my India backpacking budget so you know how much to expect to spend (I go for $20/day).

If you need a large amount of money, compare the rates from your bank ATM fees and foreign currency transfer fees to the fees of Western Union. Often, it’s cheaper to send yourself money on Western Union which is very simple in India and can be picked up at most travel agent offices.

And there you have it. All you need to know about money in India and how to travel with rupees. Let us know if you have any questions below!

For More India Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Itinerary Tips

Pin for later!

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Everything You Need to Know About Uber in India

Hippie in Heels — Sat, 23 May 2020 12:00:14 +0000

To answer your first question, yes there is Uber in India. However, even nowadays, it is still not available everywhere and there are a few slight differences you may want to know about. With the help of Jules, our local India expert, we’ll try to help you with these changes as well as give you some tips for using the app!

When Rachel first came to India in 2012, Uber didn’t even exist in India yet! Back then, you got to the airport upon arrival and could either take a government prepaid taxi or arrange with your hotel to pick you up. Both options were, of course, better than trying to fight for a taxi right outside. Even then, she realized those prepaid taxis were rip offs and only used MERU cabs or taxi that used its meter. Then she’d just follow the car with her maps app to make sure the driver wasn’t going in circles.

Of course, nowadays Uber is well and alive in India, so here’s our best advice so you can feel safe while using it!

Want more tips for traveling India? Buy our India Guidebook and even if you ONLY read that, you’ll be 1000% prepared for your trip. It’s 6 years of India travel experience all wrapped up in an organized easy to read manner.

When to Use Uber in India

A Note on the Safety of Uber vs. Other Taxi Options

Honestly, there is no difference between using Uber, a MERU cab, government prepaid taxi, or jumping in a random cab. The background checks are not always done as they should be and although Uber should be more trustworthy, events have proved this false when a woman was raped by her driver in Delhi.

Delhi later banned Uber for not doing thorough checks. (Not that banning is a huge deal, as in India it’s a joke about what the next ban will be: beef, porn, bikinis in Goa, PDA, being gay, mannequins in lingerie, advertising alcohol (brands have some funny ways getting around this), and the movie 50 Shades of Grey to name a few).

Uber says they have made things more secure, so perhaps it would be a safer option, but really it’s just down to chance on these things, isn’t it?

Rachel would use Uber not just because of safety, but because the app was easier than waiting in line at the taxi stand and she’d sometimes forget to have cash.

Why Uber is Still the Better Option

When you choose a journey on Uber the price is set. There is no need to barter or do that thing where you walk away as the price is too high and then go crawling back because you actually need to take the taxi. You are given the final price before you commit to the journey and there is no need for negotiation which saves a lot of stress as you are of course unlikely to know what the price should be in foreign countries.

You will also see the reason why places like Goa protest against having Uber is because the prices given on Uber undercut the extortionate taxi drivers by a long way. Uber gives you what the real price should be and for us travelers, this is a godsend.

Additionally, with the use of the app it is an easy way to keep account of what you are spending on journeys which can be a great help for those budgeting in India and also for those traveling in groups needing to know who spent what.

Tips For Using Uber in India

1. Install Uber before you arrive

When Rachel first downloaded Uber, she did so in the US. When she later deleted and reinstalled the app, she discovered that she had issues logging in and since she had a new SIM number, she couldn’t verify her account. To be on the safe side, just download it at home first.

2. You can pay in cash

One other thing to note is that you can choose to pay with cash. This is easy enough. You just go to your settings and choose cash or card. You can use an international card, no problem. But if you prefer cash it’s an option. When Uber first came to India, it was card-only as it is in most countries. They waited a long time before realizing they were cutting off the majority of their market. India was the first place you could pay cash for an Uber, trialed in Hyderabad in 2015.

3. How to tip with Uber

Technically with Uber, the tip is meant to be included in the price, so if you pay via card, don’t worry about it. If you’re paying in cash, it’s typical not to tip drivers for short distances. However, what you want to do instead is just round up and let them keep the change.

4. Uber pickups may be in a different area

In the USA, you might find that there is an Uber pickup area at airports clearly documented with signs. You can now find these specific areas in certain bigger airports in India such as Mumbai and Delhi.

5. You need a working SIM to use

You NEED to have a working Indian SIM card so that you can talk to the driver and see where to go. It is very likely the Uber driver is going to phone you to confirm the journey before they come to the meeting point. Language barriers do happen. English is widely spoken in India, but some drivers will not speak it. You might have to ask someone to take the phone from you and translate to save time.

6. You can use it to for rickhsaws too

Uber now has UberAUTO which will use rickshaws instead of cars if you want that experience!

7. Make sure to check the license plate

When you get to the car, verify the license plate and ask the driver to show you the trip on his phone. You never know what scams people could pull, so better to just make sure you’ve got the real Uber driver.

With Uber, there should be a photo of the guy and a license plate and car make. While in Bali, Rachel noticed it was always some other guy driving the car and she didn’t mind. In India, however, do not get in the car unless it is the same guy.

Issues you might have with Uber in India

Cancellations

You will get drivers who cancel on you. It sucks and happens here way more than any other country I’ve been. Many drivers also work for OLA (the Indian version of Uber) and they will cancel if something better comes up.

You may not be able to use Google Maps to track

Another issue is that as you get out of cities, Google Maps isn’t as good and you might find that the hotel isn’t even on the map where it’s meant to be. The good news is this would happen with a regular taxi too, lol, so who cares! #ThisIsIndia

Don’t tell anyone you’re using Uber

As we said above, there are places Uber is not active because the local taxi guys will not allow it. But, there are places Uber is active and the local taxi guys are NOT happy about it. Sometimes, there are fights/violence. When you take an Uber, don’t announce it. Don’t tell the hotel it’s Uber or anyone else. They are unmarked cars, so just act like it’s a friend or a driver you have on call.

One place I’ve heard the violence happens more than occasionally is in Trivandrum, although I have not encountered this. Staying quiet will keep you and your Uber driver out of any trouble from disgruntled locals. Again, I have used Uber all over India and never had a single issue, but it does happen.

Where Uber Works in India

Uber has now been introduced into 40 cities in India. I have listed them below so you can see them all clearly.

Agra
Ahmedabad
Ajmer
Amritsar
Asansol
Aurangabad
Bangalore
Bareilly
Bhopal
Bhubaneswar
Chandigarh
Chennai
Coimbatore
Dehradun
Dhanbad
Durgapur
Guwahati
Hubli
Hyderabad
Indore
Jaipur
Jamshedpur
Jodhpur
Kanpur
Kochi
Kolkata
Kollam
Kottayam
Lucknow
Ludhiana
Mangalore
Mumbai
Mysore
Nagpur
Nashik
New Delhi
Puducherry
Patna
Pune
Raipur
Rajkot
Ranchi
Surat
Thiruvananthapuram
Tirupati
Udaipur
Vadodara
Varanasi
Vijaywada
Visakhapatnam

Uber in Goa

While Uber exists in Goa, it’s not as active and the chances of it being active are next to none. Similar to Canggu in Bali, taxi drivers would never allow Uber in their towns. There has even been a recent introduction of another app, Goa Miles, but this is not as reliable as you would hope due to the backlash from current taxi drivers.

Rachel wrote more about transportation in Goa in her ebook if you want to know more on what to expect. When she lived in Goa, she drove around in the above beautiful little thing that was once banned itself because of the easy-to-kidnap-people-doors.

So, that is pretty much all there is to know about Uber in India! You can click here to download the free app and choose Andriod or IOS. Enjoy Ubering around India. It definitely makes life easier here!

For More India Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Itinerary Tips

Pin for later!

Original: October 2017; Update: May 2020

The post Everything You Need to Know About Uber in India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Uber in India appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

How to Get a Tourist Visa for India the Easy Way (An India e-Tourist Visa Application Guide)

Hippie in Heels — Mon, 18 May 2020 12:00:41 +0000

Once upon a time it was pretty tricky trying to figure out how to get a tourist visa online. We’ve done a massive update to Rachel’s original guide to reflect how much has changed since she first had to get hers all those years ago. Read below for the quick and easy guide!

PS: Check out our India Guide eBook. After 6 years living there, Rachel’s experiences from backpacking to luxury travel have been put into this 100,000-word book which will help you plan the most amazing trip in India. Read what’s inside and reviews here.

Types of e-Visas for India

The e-visa can be broken down into:

e-Tourist Visa (30 days, 1 year, 5 years)
e-Business Visa (1 year)
e-Conference Visa (30 days)
e-Medical Visa (60 days)
e-Medical Attendant Visa (60 days)

Chances are, you’re only going to need to be concerned with the e-Tourist Visa. We do have a post on e-Medical and e-Business visas here if you need those.

There are 3 options for the e-Tourist Visa are as follows:

One Month e-Tourist Visa: Valid up to 30 days and includes double entry.
One Year e-Tourist Visa: Valid up to 365 days and includes multiple entries.
Five Year e-Tourst Visa: Valid up to 5 years and includes multiple entries.

Important Note: For the 1 and 5 year visas, this does not mean you can stay in India for the whole time. You must exit the country after 90 days. If you’re from the US, UK, Canada, or Japan, you can stay for 180 days before needing to leave. If you have multiple entries selected then you are able re-enter India but you must leave before your visa expires and continue to stick to the capped number of days per visit – 90 or 180. For visas that allow you to stay longer, check this post for USA applicants and this post for UK applicants.

FAQ About the India e-Tourist Visa

Which airports is the e-Visa valid for?

Airports include: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Portblair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Vishakhapatnam.

Seaports include: Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai, Chennai

You can, however, exit through any other authorized Immigration Check Post (ICP) in India.

Are the e-visas like visas on arrival?

No (unless you are from Japan, South Korea, or the UAE).

If you’ve ever applied for tourist visas to other countries, like Vietnam, those are typically visas on arrival. This means you apply online, get a letter of approval, and at the airport before you go through customs, you go to a separate area where they take your passport and add the visa.

The India tourist visa is not that, though you will get an email of your visa, which you need to print and bring with you to the airport.

Is the e-visa good for all parts of India?

Not all but most. It is not valid for restricted or protected areas such as Northeast India, Sikkim, Jammu, Kashmir, and parts of Himachal.

Can I apply for my visa right before I fly?

No. Even if you rush it for an “emergency visa” it’s going to take minimum of 2 days through iVisa‘s 2 day super rush processing.

Trust me, people get this confused. Rachel got many e-mails from people who didn’t realize until the night before and had to change their flights.

Usually the visa takes about 72 hours to process, sometimes faster. If you haven’t gotten it after 72 hours, you’re encouraged to call +91 11 24300666 or email indian-evisa@gov.in.

Can I just do a one way ticket to India?

No. You must have a return ticket or onward journey booked. This is a serious part of the Indian visa application process and they take it quite seriously. You will often be asked by the airline before you can even board your flight to India.

How much does the e-tourist visa cost?

Base on this calculator from iVisa, the government fees for a US Citizen are:

30 Day e-Tourst Visa: $26 USD
1 Year e-Tourist Visa: $41 USD
5 Year e-Tourist Visa: $82 USD

This should be roughly the same for other countries.

When does my e-visa time period start?

The e-visa will begin from the date you arrive in India.

It’s valid from the date of issue, and you can apply as early as 120 days before your intended arrival date. The latest you are recommended to apply is 4 business days before departure.

Who can get an India e-visa?

Most countries are eligible for the e-tourist visa, but not all. Check this list of countries valid for e-visa to India to see if your country is.

How many times can I apply for an e-Tourist visa?

You can only apply for TWO E-tourist visas in one year.

How to Apply for Your India Tourist Visa

There are two ways we’ll go over in this post. The first is the most straightforward way, which is through the Indian Government website and the other is through iVisa, which Rachel always preferred. We’ll outline both below. First up:

Through the Indian Government Website

Luckily for you, the process has become a lot more straightforward over the years. This way allows you to do everything yourself, and you simply follow the directions the website has laid out.

Warning: Just a word of warning that if you mess anything up with your application or wind up canceling your trip, you can not get a refund and must go through and pay all over again.

Step 1: Go to this page

This is the government page where you can begin your application. As you can see they now have a lot of information to help you out while you’re applying; including a sample application page.

Step 2: Fill out your application

At the bottom of the web page, click the button for “Apply here for e-visa.” Once you go through the application, you’ll be asked to upload a passport photo of yourself and a photocopy of your passport. Keep the specifications they have for each in mind and make sure your passport has at least 6 months left.

Step 3: Payment

You’ll them come to a page that prompts you to pay now or pay later. If you choose to pay later, you still must pay at least 4 days before arrival. You can choose between Payment Gateway or Paypal. Payment Gateway will have a 2.5% fee while Paypal will have a 3.5% fee.

Step 4: Approval

From there, within 72 hours, you should have a copy of an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Go back to the government website to confirm that your ETA status is GRANTED, and you can always track the status of your application on the site.

Step 5: At the Airport

You’ll need a physical copy of your approval with you at the airport, and there they will stamp your passport.

Through iVisa

iVisa is a 3rd party site that will handle everything for you for an additional $35 fee. It is the ONLY 3rd party site we recommend.

Rachel always preferred using iVisa and paying the extra fee because often the information around applying changes and can be confusing. And, of course, if you mess up, you wind up paying around $35 or more to redo your application.

Over the years, she had gotten THOUSANDS of emails about getting the e-visa. People have had issues with the government site (card not accepted to pay, site crashing over and over, no receipt of submitting it, and more).

iVisa on the other hand has a “zero frustration policy” and is like an added insurance policy. If for whatever reason you’re rejected, they’ll cover the cost to try again.

Here’s how it works for them:

Step 1: Go to this iVisa link.

Just a note this is an affiliate link for iVisa, which means we make a small commission if you visit through us. It’s no added cost to you, and we wouldn’t recommend the iVisa if it didn’t help countless HIH readers over the years make the whole process hassle free.

Step 2: Fill in Your Information

Simply add your nationality and where you’re traveling to (in this case, obviously India).

Step 3: Pick which e-Visa you want

Choose which e-Visa you want. They offer all the tourist visa options as well as the e-Business and e-Medical. Click “Go to Application Form” once you’re done.

Step 4: Fill out your application

Same drill as with the government site.

Step 5: Choose processing times

Standard Processing: $35, 5 Business Days
Rush Processing: $65, 3 Business Days
Super Rush Processing: $100, 2 Business Days

Step 6: Finish Application and Pay

Finish your application and make sure all your details are correct. Then you’ll be prompted to pay. You’ll get a pop up that says “Status Incomplete.” Just click “Complete Now.”

You’ll then be prompted to make an account.

Step 7: Upload Your Passport Photo & Copy

Make sure your passport copy is in a PDF format and your passport photo has a white background and is in a JPEG format. Click Save + Continue.

You’re done! Click “Save and Complete request.”

Step 8: Print & Travel

Once you hit this, you’ll have a confirmation email from iVisa. Once they have your e-visa, they’ll send it to you over email. Print and show at the airport.

If you have any issues, you can use their customer service, which is available 24/7.

And there you have it! Everything you need to know about how to get a tourist visa for India! It’s not difficult, just a lot of detailed paperwork. We recommend starting the process as soon as you’ve booked your flight so it’s one less thing to take care of.

For More India Travel Advice

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Itinerary Tips

And, of course, we recommend joining the Hippie in Heels: India Travel Tips Facebook group if you have more specific questions.

Pin for later!

The post How to Get a Tourist Visa for India the Easy Way (An India e-Tourist Visa Application Guide) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post How to Get a Tourist Visa for India the Easy Way (An India e-Tourist Visa Application Guide) appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Save Yourself Hassle: Buy a Local SIM Card in India

Hippie in Heels — Wed, 13 May 2020 06:02:41 +0000

Back when Rachel first wrote about how to get a SIM card in India, the process was much more complicated and getting tourist SIM cards wasn’t done as much. Of course today people get them more often, so with the help of Jules, our resident India expert, we’ve given this guide a much needed update! Read below for all your options of staying connected.

Tourist SIM cards are such a game changer when it comes to travel. Back in the day (aka less than a decade ago), you either needed to get a cheap phone for local calls and then hope you find WiFi either in your hotel or some random cafe to use your own phone. Nowadays, you just make sure your phone is unlocked, and you can top up or recharge with credit as you please!

Do I Actually Need a SIM Card or Data for India?

We’re assuming you’re asking this because you either a) are hoping there’s enough places with WiFi that you can just rely on that or b) you’re hoping to somehow be a true intrepid traveler and go off the grid while discovering the beauty of India.

Well for those wondering about WiFi, you’re definitely going to need some sort of data at least as back up. While many places do offer WiFi, you never know how strong it’ll be or if something could happen that causes it to go out during your visit. Also, chances are, you won’t have access to WiFi while you’re on the move. Having data of some sort lets you check maps, double check the timings of trains and buses, and look up reviews of restaurants or hostels you might be dropping into last minute.

Also, you still might want to have a phone number available because you never know when you need to give it out. Rachel used her number on fliers when she asked for a ride share from McLeod Ganj to Amritsar and got loads of calls which saved her both time and money.

For those that are hoping to be the next intrepid traveler, chances are you’ll just make yourself more miserable getting lost or not being able to contact anyone. Plus having some sort of connection or ability to call will help keep you safer in India.

How to Get a SIM Card in India

They change the rules on how to get a SIM card in India often, but as of now, you can get one as a foreigner as long as you have an address to list.

What You Need to Get a SIM Card

An Unlocked Phone

First, you need a phone with a SIM slot. Pretty much all phones have at least one these days. In fact, if you’re due for a new phone, check out Android options as they often have 2 SIM card slots vs. Apple’s one. This means you can keep your original SIM card in with your Whatsapp and usual apps going whilst putting the new Indian SIM in the second slot and using the data from this SIM card to run the phone.

An important point to note, even if you have one or two SIM card slots, your phone needs to be unlocked. In many places this is automatic, but check with your phone company first. Last we checked, US phones don’t come unlocked unless you purposely buy one that way.

If You Can’t Unlock Your Phone

The easiest option is to look into Trabug (more on that below), but you can also buy phones in India on Amazon.in and they can be delivered to your hotel/hostel within a few days.

There are phone brands on Amazon called Oppo, Redmi, Xiaomi, Infinux – all relatively cheap and good quality phones. Have a look before you start your trip to see whether it is better to buy it before your trip in your home country or in India once arrived.

2×2 Photograph & Passport Copy

In order to apply to get a SIM card, you need a copy of your passport, a 2x2inch photograph, and, of course, there will be paperwork at the shop you buy it.

Which is the best SIM card in India?

It’s honestly hard to say because it depends so heavily on the area. For example, IDEA was non-existent in some areas of NE India, but worked great in Mysore for Rachel. It’s all dependent on the area and it’s very cheap to change SIMs if necessary so don’t worry too much if yours doesn’t work well at first.

Some bigger brands are: Jio, Airtel, IDEA, and Vodafone but, again, depends on the region!

Prepaid or Postpaid?

In India, SIM cards are sold as “prepaid” or “postpaid” – prepaid is topping up before you can use it, similar to pay-as-you-go and postpaid is basically a monthly contract which you pay for at the end of every month. Depending on your length of travel in India, prepaid is recommended and is likely to be less paperwork.

Where to Buy SIM Cards

These days, most airports now sell SIM cards at arrivals. Usually they will have a little bit of a higher price.

If you don’t want to buy one at the airport, your best bet is to go to an authentic shop and not just a reseller. Go somewhere recommended by a local or seems popular.

Warning: If a shop doesn’t ask for paperwork, passport information, or a 2×2 photograph, they aren’t planning on submitting anything and your SIM will only work until the company realizes someone is using it and turns it off. Go somewhere else!

Basically, the company is supposed to check the address and phone number you list, call and see if you really are there. This is why it’s so hard for foreigners to get SIMs that last, and why three of Rachel’s were turned off after a couple of weeks… even one that she bought IN THE MAIN OFFICE of Vodafone. It’s one of the many scams of India.

Also just know that sometimes SIM cards are “recycled.” They’re still fine; you just might get a few random calls from a stranger and also expect to receive lots of lovely phone calls in Hindi trying to sell you something.

How much do SIM Cards in India cost for foreigners?

The perfect thing about SIM cards in India is that they are CHEAP. Some places give them out free, and some make it a little harder to get. In fact, the government used to give them out for free to tourists (though they don’t anymore).

Yours shouldn’t be more than Rs 150 at baseline. You don’t want to add too much money to top up your credit if you’re traveling around the country. If you’re traveling in one state for a longer stretch of time, we’d put around Rs 500 of credit. Otherwise just add Rs 100 or 200 at a time because you might wind up wanting to buy a new SIM in a new state (more on that next).

Either way, there are shops on every corner if you need to top up. Sometimes you can top up on line. Typically, you need an Indian bank account for this, but sometimes international credit cards are accepted.

Also keep in mind when looking at the different options, that you’re probably going to want a bigger data plan and not just a calling and SMS plan.

Roaming in India: What to Know

You know how if you have a cell service in the US and you go to Canada, it’s considered “roaming,” which meant a much larger phone bill if you were calling or using data abroad? It’s also like that in India, though obviously not as pricey as going to a different country. Wherever you buy your SIM is considered its “home state” and anywhere you else you go will be roaming. So if you buy your SIM card in Goa, for example, you’ll be considered “roaming” in Rajasthan.

This is why you don’t want to top up too much. You can compare prices, but it often might be much cheaper to just buy a brand new SIM per state you visit and add 100 or 200 rupees of credit. Plus, like we said above, the best cell service per country seems to change by state, so that could be another factor if you use data often. However, it is much less waste and paperwork to keep the same SIM throughout your trip and top up as you roam through different states.

Don’t Want to Deal with Getting a SIM? Try Trabug

Trabug is a Travel Phone and Wifi Hotspot service. It honestly might be a great alternative if you’re worried about getting your phone stolen or breaking it on your trip. You can see the damage or theft breakdown costs here.

If you check out their site, there’s a video explaining all that they do and it’s changed quite bit from when Rachel first heard of them.

The Travel Phone

Cost: $5.99/day
Data: 2.5 GB daily at 4G
Calling: 250 minutes daily domestic
SMS: 10 daily domestic
Incoming calls and texts are free
Max: 80 days

This is an actual smartphone they’ll mail to your accommodation for you to pick up. The phone comes loaded with popular apps as well as Trabug’s own curated tips for India as well as recommendations and things like the closest ATM. They even have audio tours uploaded.

Apps on the Travel Phone Include:

Travel: Google Maps, Uber, Ola Cabs, IRCTC Trains, Trabug Currency Converter and Delivery, Trabug Travel, Trabug Emergency Services
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, GooglePlus
Communication: Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Hangouts, Skype, Google Translate
Other: Youtube, Chrome, FM Radio, and more

If you need more apps added, you can contact Trabug up to 7 days before your rental start day to request them.

WiFi Hotspot

Cost: $3.99/day
Data: 2.5 GB daily at 4G
Devices: Up to 5
Max: 80 days

If you don’t think you need calling or SMS at all, you may just want their pocket WiFi instead. The nice thing too is that you can have up to 5 devices connected, so if you’re with a friend, you could each pair up your phones and laptops (though 2.5GB will go fast if you’re only using your hotspot).

Additional Charges

You can add on:

More Data
International Calling
More Texts and Data

Just contact them to add any of the above after you book.

Additionally, shipping is $9.99 per device for delivery and return pickup, but it’s free if you your rental bill is over $50.

You will also be asked for a security deposit before they ship the product to you, and this will be refunded within 10 business days of your return.

Another nice thing with Trabug is that you won’t have a change in charges for roaming in India like with a SIM card; it’s all included in the base price of $5.99/daily.

How to Order

Keep in mind you must have an e-Visa to qualify for a Trabug phone. For more on that, check this post.

Once you have an approved e-Visa, you’ll just need a scan or clear photo of your Passport ID pages.

If you need to cancel your trip, you can get a 100% refund up to 6 days before the start of your rental period. After that it goes down to 50%.

And there you have it! All you need to know about getting a SIM Card in India and staying connected. Let us know if you have any more questions.

For More India Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Itinerary Tips

Pin for later!

The post Save Yourself Hassle: Buy a Local SIM Card in India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Save Yourself Hassle: Buy a Local SIM Card in India appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Where to Stay in Goa: All the Best Places to Stay from North to South

Hippie in Heels — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:00:30 +0000

Rachel first visited and wrote about where to stay in Goa a while ago. With the help of one of her close friends, Jules, we’ve given this post a much needed update with even more hotels and accommodations. If you’re trying to figure out the best place to stay in Goa, here are all your best tips!

Still planning your trip? Don’t forget to pick up our Insider Guide to Goa and Ultimate Guide to India.

I, Jules, have lived in Goa now for 4 years. I have spent a lot of time exploring the beauty Goa has to offer and the hidden and not-so-hidden gems while also running my family heritage home, Villa Alina. With the villa, I’ve spent my seasons hosting many guests, so I pride myself on having a never-ending list of recommendations for restaurants, bars, clubs, beaches and accommodation!

Goa is one of the best places to visit in India, whether it is the end of your long backpacking trip, a few days of respite in the middle of exploring the madness, or a two week chill, beach holiday. Just know that if you’re able to, you will end up spending more time here than planned. Either way Goa is a must see in India, and I can guarantee you won’t find any other state like it!

FAQ to Determine the Best Place to Stay in Goa

Whenever I have someone ask about where to stay in Goa, I ask them a few questions to gauge what type of holiday they’re looking for. This helps figure out where they should stay and what kind of hotels or accommodation I think they’d prefer. After all, if you’re looking to experience Goa’s nightlife, you won’t want to stay stay on any of the quiet beaches.

How much time do you have?

A few days…

If you have just a few days in Goa, don’t try and do it all. Stick to the North or South and pick one place as your hub and explore from there.

A week or more…

For those with a week in Goa or more, you could do half up North and half down South. It takes approximately 3 hours by taxi to get from North to South depending on where you start and finish. You’ll want to add on another couple of hours if you take a bus instead.

Do you want to just relax on the beach or do you want to do a bit of exploring too?

This’ll help you decide whether you want to stay in North Goa or South Goa.

North Goa is the busier side with a lot more to do than just lie on the beach. Here you’ll find a much larger selection of restaurants, bars, party places, and shopping markets. This is where you can immerse yourself in the culture of Goa, choose from hundreds of places to eat, sing karaoke, feel the buzz of Goa’s busy-ness whilst also beach hopping along the coast.

If you’d prefer something more relaxed, then you’ll want to go to South Goa, which has the more beautiful and secluded beach resorts. Go here if you want to stay in stilted beach huts, fall asleep listening to the waves, and spend most of your time stretched out on a sun bed with a cocktail, coconut, or beer in hand. You won’t find too many late night parties but you’ll still have your pick of restaurants, sunset spots, and lazy beach days.

What is your budget?

In Goa, we have everything from eco-resorts, beachside stilted huts, huts in the jungle, hostels, homestays, B&B’s to luxurious villas, yoga retreats, and super fancy 5-star resorts.

Below I have split my recommendations into areas rather than accommodation categories and then added a $, $$, $$$, or $$$$ depending on cost. This way you can figure out which beaches or areas to stay in and then narrow it down to a specific hotel that fits your budget.

Note: Also keep in mind that this list is based on October until the end of April. Many places shutdown for the monsoon season in Goa. If you’re coming from May through to September, you may not find your chosen option open. However, it’s worth contacting them directly to see if they’re open and can even offer you a cheaper rate.

Where to Stay in North Goa – Top to Bottom

Arambol

Arambol is the furthest North in Goa and is a very busy town full of tourists, backpackers, locals and “expats.” I have to be honest and say I very rarely make it this far up the coast but I know a lot of backpackers end up getting stuck here for longer than planned. Think drum circles at sunset, Goan Trance and a lot of dreadlocks. Have a try at surfing at Surfwala.

Places to Stay in Arambol

Mandrem

This is my favorite beach in North Goa – very secluded and not a lot going on. Don’t expect late night parties; expect chic hippie vibes and an empty beach waiting to be walked along for miles. Shop at Alchemy, a very cute boutique facing the sea and owned by Rachel’s best friend Tia.

Wigwam $$

A newbie on the scene, only 2 seasons in, this is a really cool, chic and beautiful place to stay. Set on a quiet village road at the top end of North Goa you can stay in a luxurious tipi, jungle hut or the apartment. Some options come with a private outdoor shower – if you haven’t ever showered under the stars, this is a must do! Yoga classes are included and they offer add-ons including meditation, massage and cooking classes. This is a little bit on the upper side of a budget but you definitely get what you pay for. Book here

Vaayu

Vaayu $$

This is one of my favorite places In North Goa. It has the perfect beach vibe set just across the road from the perfect beach and swimming spot serving some of the best food in Goa. They have a selection of rooms for different budgets and offer surfing lessons, paddle board hire, yoga and much more. They also put on some cool nights during the week and weekends, so it’s a good place to meet a nice crowd. If you stay here make sure you try the fish tacos! Book here

Jamboree Creek $$

Jamboree Creek is a great secluded spot with lovely wooden or mud huts as rooms. It is an eco-farm homestay with lots of yoga workshops, capoeira and private access to the beach which is just behind the rooms. This is owned by Priyanka who was a really good friend of Rachel – if you are looking to join a little community and have some peace, quiet and relaxation this place is highly recommended. Book here

Riva Resort $$

This is more of a hotel vibe than the others with a larger space and a lot more rooms. Riva has a beautiful sunset view and the hotel has a private walkway onto the beautiful Mandrem Beach. This is where Sunsplash, the yearly Reggae Festival in January has been hosted the past 2 years. Book here

Elsewhere $$$

Elsewhere is a beautiful family run business with different size old style Portuguese houses for rent right on the beach. This place gets booked up well in advance and you can see why from the pictures. It’s on the higher end of the price scale. Book here

Ashwem

A bit busier than Mandrem with more beach shack options. Ashwem Beach has lots of delicious restaurants all within walking distance along the beach. Be sure to eat at La Plage!

Anahata Retreat

Anahata Retreat $$

This is one of my favorite spots to lounge on the sun beds at Ashwem beach. I haven’t ever stayed here but the rooms look amazing from the outside. They have lots of different round wooden cabins just a stones throw away from the sea. They have a yoga deck and a restaurant serving delicious food and cocktails. Book here

Yab Yum

Yab Yum $$$

These are spacious wooden cottages that look like something straight out of The Hobbit movie. Again built on beach sand, you are likely to fall asleep to the sound of the waves. Book here

Palm Grove Beach Resort

Palm Grove Beach Resort $$$

Another high end beach front option with concrete beach huts leading up to the beach. They have 2 separate areas Little Palm Grove, near the yoga shala and Palm Grove which is closer to the restaurant and the beach. They have their own sunbeds and a lovely view of the sunset. Book here

Morjim

Still a lovely part of the beach with Turtles nesting at one end. A few more beach clubs can be found on this side but still relatively quiet. Be sure to check out Burger Factory for lunch or dinner!

Marbela Beach Resort $$

This is a beach resort that is also a club so not a good idea to stay here if you aren’t interested in partying. There are also a few other clubs nearby. It opens out on to the beach. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Morjim

Amarya Paros – “fancy beach shack” style $$
Sur La Mer – right by a lot of popular party places $$
Wanderers Hostel $

Siolim

Siolim is a residential area with my favourite beautiful white church. This is a good location to be in to explore different beaches along the coast. However, Siolim doesn’t have it’s own beach and can be very busy with traffic. If staying here you must go to Thalassa for a sunset drink or Greek evening dinner – one of the most famous restaurants in Goa.

Shunya Noi Varo

Shunya Noi Varo $$

Rachel stayed at Shunya Noi Varo with Ben and his brother, Josh and loved it. Their prawn curry rice is some of the best Goan food she’s ever had, and it’s pretty inexpensive if you book it in a group of 5 or 6 people. Book here

Siolim House

Siolim House $$

Another spot Rachel stayed and wrote about; this is a huge heritage house with a nice pool. Book here

Other Place to Stay in Siolim

Ishavilas $$$

Vagator

Vagator isn’t as happening as it used to be but it still has a few nice spots. Little Vagator/Ozran Beach is down a steep set of stairs and used to be the hangout for a lot of hippies back in the day. You can find a few more parties this side – Hilltop, Antares, La Rive, Chronicle. Make sure to visit The Goa Collective Bazaar aka The Friday market at Hilltop.

Pappi Chulo $

A hostel on the backroads of Vagator a short walk from Little Vagator Beach. Close to Hilltop, the famous Goan Trance venue. I haven’t stayed here but seems like a nice colourful, family vibe going on here. And it has the same name as my dog so a special mention from me! Book here

Other Places to Stay in Vagator

Chikli

This is very inland and I haven’t ever heard of it but Rachel recommended Casa Colvale here, which does look lovely. Book here

Anjuna

This is the backpacker side to Goa where a lot of the hostels can be found. Anjuna is a good place to start your journey in North Goa as its homely with lots going on. There is a good community here and lots of touristing to be done including the famous Wednesday Flea Market. Check out Curlies, Shiva Valley and Café Lilliput for beachside parties. Do note the beach in Anjuna is not the nicest in my opinion.

Granpas Inn

Granpas Inn – Bouganvillea $$

This is a great location in Anjuna with an amazing pool. It has separate rooms/huts with a very homely feel. Book here

Laguna Anjuna $$

You’ll probably find a lot of expats and locals here to use the pool and eat at the Italian restaurant as the food is really good. You’ll have your pick of the rooms in the old Portuguese/Goan style, and it’s affordable enough that one of Rachel’s friends stayed here for a month. Book here

Other Places to Stay Anjuna

Assagao

This is the trendy inland area of Goa which should be visited whether you are staying here or not. Lots of very cool shops not to be missed – Rangeela, No Nasties, People Tree and food spots you have to try – Edible Archives, Susie’s, Gunpowder, Sublime, Vinayak, Villa Blanche, Mojigao and The Project Café Goa. Gunpowder was Rachel’s favorite!

Namaste Jungle

Namaste Jungle $$

As the name suggests these are rooms hidden away in the jungle of Assagao. If you are looking for some peace and quiet alongside birds chirping, this tranquil spot is for you. Just a short ride/drive from local beaches. Book here

Tamarind $$

This is between Anjuna and Assagao, has a nice pool and lots of room options. It feels like a little resort and has cool live music nights, a delicious bakery selection and a great restaurant. Book here

Another Place to Stay in Assagao

Hotel Astoria $$$

Arpora

This is a very sleepy inland area with not much going on except the very big and loud Saturday Night Market – Ingo’s is a must visit for all the Indian tourist souvenirs you have to buy for your friends at home. Take a trip to Studio Arpora to see amazing paintings of Goa and purchase some beautiful illustrations from a local artist.

Nilaya Hermitage

Nilaya Hermitage $$$

This is one of my favourite spots in Goa up high on a hill so you can see the sea as well as North Goa from above. They have the best swimming pool in Goa with a big waterfall at the back. The design of each room is different and they have a special blue room where you can whisper on one side and it travels all the way around to the other side, if that doesn’t make sense ask the man at the front to show you!

Even if you don’t choose to stay here you can come and use the pool for the day for Rs 500 and have lunch. Try the grilled lemon fish! This is on the higher end of the price range and has had the likes of Richard Gere come to stay. Book here

Calangute

This is the epicentre of Goa, the Leicester Square (London reference), meaning it is not the nicest area as it is heaving with tourists and is always busy. However, I believe it is the original and real Goa.

There are some really nice parts of Calangute, you just have to know where to look. For food don’t miss A Reverie (may top your list of best restaurants ever visited!), Pousada By the Beach, Navtara and for beach shacks – Cafe Roma and Aggie’s.

Chalston Beach Resort

Chalston Beach Resort $$

A family run hotel set on the beach with your own private sunset spot, sunbeds and a beach side restaurant. They have live music and a cool Indian dance show on Wednesdays. You can stay in standard rooms or treat yourself to a garden cottage. Book here

Villa Alina

Villa Alina $$$

If you are in a large group a Villa may suit your needs perfectly. This is my heritage home which sleeps up to 16 people in one large group with 6 bedrooms. I know I am biased but it is hard to find the same luxury, family, home style vibe elsewhere! It is built on beach sand, a few minutes walk from a lovely part of Calangute beach and has a private infinity pool. This is on the upper end of the price scale. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Calangute

Candolim

Candolim is another busy area connected to Calangute. There are lots of restaurants and places to stay along the main road and there are some lovely beach shacks on quieter parts of the beach. This area is full of tourists mainly from the UK and around Europe. Eat at Calamari, a higher end beach shack and D’mello’s both found on the beach.

Wildflower Villas

Wildflower Villas $$

This is nice eco resort with an infinity pool that’s located in Candolim. Good if you want to get away during the day but party at night. Book here

The Amrit $$

This is a newly renovated colorful hotel in the old Portuguese style. There aren’t too many rooms so it won’t ever feel like too crowded. There is a shared pool on the grounds and the beach is a very short walk away. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Candolim

Sinquerim

This is the last coast side area before Panjim. Here you can have a walk up to Fort Aguada, take a look at the lighthouse and even see the gates of the the famous Fort Aguada prison which is now closed. Eat at Davide’s, Wok and Roll and party at Cohiba, Showbar and Sinq.

Taj Aguada

There are two options for the Taj Hotel here, both located very near to each other and both very fancy. I think the Fort Aguada Resort & Spa has a better view of the sunset and coastline – which is of course very important!

Saligao

Inland residential area with not much happening. Lots of beautiful old school Portuguese houses to see. Have a drink and a dance at Cantare – salsa night is on a Monday!

Shanti Morada $$

Shanti Morada a heritage style house is ranked quite high in Goa, and Rachel’s friends who’ve stayed here thought it was amazing. It’s in a pretty peaceful location, and it’s incredibly decorated with pools and waterfall style decorations. Book here

Nerul

Another quiet inland area alongside a beautiful river and some lovely churches. Not much happening here except for the very large nightclub, LPK, which used to be busy back in the day but not sure how well it does now. Restaurants to try are Lazy Goose and Bhatti’s Village – the latter you can taste delicious home cooked Goan food which is surprisingly hard to find.

Sol De Goa $$

A very cute hotel set in the green fields of Nerul with lovely boutique rooms and a small swimming pool. A nice place to stay if you are looking for some peace and quiet. Book here

Coco Shambhala $$$

Coco Shambhala is a resort of luxury villas with a shared swimming pool. This is a great place if you don’t want to leave the property as it has everything you will need with the options of a private chef, spa services, beauty treatments, gourmet dining and if you want to leave, a private driver can be organized. This is on the upper end of the price scale. Book here

Porvorim

This is not a beach side area at all, very residential with lots of restaurants, the cinema and the only mall in Goa – Mall de Goa.

Casa Britona $$$

Olaulim

A very green unexplored area of Goa. Inland and away from the beach, Olaulim is a sleepy village with not much happening. Perfect for some peace and quiet.

Olaulim Backyards

Olaulim Backyards $$

Rachel loved this place and wrote about it here. Lots of readers have stayed here since and said they loved it. You can enjoy nature, go kayaking, eat the best prawns, and stay in a little, natural cabin in the jungle. Book here

Bambolim

I wouldn’t suggest staying in Bambolim unless you are staying at the Hyatt Hotel as there is not much happening around here at all.

Hyatt Bambolim $$$

This is a beautiful hotel with a private beach and lovely swimming pool. They have an amazing Sunday brunch which I would recommend going to even if you aren’t staying here – you need to book in advance. It is a huge hotel with really beautiful decor. Book here

Panjim

The capital of Goa and a must-visit to see a real old school Portuguese town alongside the beautiful Mandovi River. Here you will find the 9-5ers, the casino boats, beautiful churches, impossible parking and what feels like the real world of Goa. Restaurants to try, Tataki, Nostalgia, Konkani Kitchen, Café Bodega and Blacksheep Bistro. If going to Panjim you have to take a walk through Fontainhas which is like taking a walk through the colorful streets of Portugal.

Old Quarter Hostel

Old Quarter Hostel $

This hostel is set right in the heart of Fontainhas surrounded by beautiful colorful houses and just opposite what used to be my Grandmother’s house which is now a school. If you stay here, make sure you have a beer at Joseph’s Bar, a short walk away. Book here

Other places to stay in Panjim

Batim

I know nothing about Batim other than it is in the middle of nowhere and is on the way to the airport from most tourist areas up North. This is a real village, very green, surrounded by palm trees and probably not many other tourists in sight.

Casa Menezes

Casa Menezes $$

The reason I included Batim is because of Casa Menezes, a beautiful ancestral Portuguese homestay that has been converted to separate rooms. If you want to experience the village side of Goa then stay here and use their bicycles to cycle along palm tree roads. They have a restaurant across the road that serves delicious local Goan food. Book here

On The Border of Goa

Off the Grid $$

Close to the Karnataka border, this eco resort is run by an English couple. Like its name suggests, it’s hidden and immersed in nature. Ask the owners about white water rafting in Goa if you’re looking for adventure. Book here

Wildernest $$

Located near the Chorla Ghats, this is a super popular getaway with a fun infinity pool. It’s one of the more expensive eco-resort options but it’s a great place for trekking and taking families. Book here

Where to Stay in South Goa – Top to Bottom

The next few areas are not too far from the airport and are a bit more South than North Goa but still feel central. The beaches here feel untouched, secluded and some even have silky white sand. There is not much going on around these areas but there are a few nice places to stay and eat.

Utorda Beach

This area is where the luxury Planet Hollywood is located – $$$

Majorda

Eat at Zeebop and have fresh crab at Martin’s Corner.

Vivenda Dos Palhacos

Vivenda Dos Palhacos $$

This is a very cute place with a lovely pool surrounded by palm trees. All rooms are different and it has a very homely vibe with a few resident dogs. Rachel had lots of friends stay at Vivenda Dos Palhacos and love it. Since it’s a homestay, you’ll get home-cooked meals! Book here

Other Places to Stay in Majorda

Benaulim

Similarly, not much happening in this area other than the 5-star hotel experience and a deserted beach.

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa $$$

Cavelossim

This is a very secluded part of Goa and the main attraction in this area is the Leela Hotel $$$ and what must be a very secluded beach.

Cabo De Rama

This is a sort of secret spot as it’s still a bit unknown but I will let you in on it. You can visit a crumbling fort – Fort Cabo De Rama and walk down to an amazing deserted beach. There is literally nothing to do here and only 2 places to stay.

The Cape $$$

This place is nearly always booked up in advance so if you manage to find a date that works for you, book it. These are luxury rooms with a beautiful sea view and your own personal jacuzzi. Book here

Cabo Serai

Cabo Serai $$$

A beautiful spot on a hill with panoramic views of the sea. This is a new spot that has only been open for one season. The rooms are all made of bamboo and have that eco-resort feel. I haven’t made it to stay here yet but it is on my list. They offer nature walks, bird walks, picnics, yoga and more. Book here

Cola

Cola is probably one of the first beaches along the coast in the further South where people stay but it’s still not a very common pick. This means it is very quiet and there really isn’t much to do at all.

One of the reasons it is so quiet is because the road to get down to this beach is a terrible road to take whether in a car or on a bike – more so on a bike but it is a very long and never ending bumpy road. So once you are on this beach, there is no popping back to the main road for a little explore.

Secret Beach Resort

Secret Beach Resort $$

Not many people know about this resort. The views are spectacular and the rooms are basic and affordable huts. Book Here

Agonda

This is the first busier place along the South coastline of beautiful beaches. Agonda is one of my favourite southern beaches with it’s golden sand, lovely swimmable sea, and relaxed vibe.

If you stay here take a walk all the way along the beach and along the main road to check the shops out. Eat at Kopi Desah, Zest, Dunhill, Corvo Rindo and Le Dolce Vita. Take the early morning bird watching boat trip with Captain which can be booked at the far North end of the beach where the sea meets the river.

While you can turn up to the South Goan beaches without a booking, you might be unsuccessful bargaining with them at the height of the season.

All the places listed below are beachfront but just know that the closer to the sea you are, the more expensive the price will be.

The Tribe

The Tribe $

If you want a break from the beach then take a room at this sustainable eco-resort hidden in the jungle. I have heard great things about this place from friends but just be aware you are living amongst nature so you may meet a few (hopefully) friendly snakes, insects etc. They are big on conservation and permaculture and offer courses whilst you stay. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Agonda

Palolem

This used to be the busiest part of South Goa but as the other beaches get more built up the tourists have spread out. This is the original spot for stilted beach huts – the ones you see in the magazines that represent Goa.

There is a huge rock out in the middle of the sea that you can swim out to, attempt to climb up and jump off from. I have never done it because I am lazy and afraid but I have witnessed both successful and unsuccessful attempts.

There is also a silent disco every Saturday at Neptune’s point which has been going on for years and years. Cocktails and Dreams is the main bar that stays open the longest. You can take a walk along the coast to Patnem beach which is just next door.

I don’t have any major name recommendations, except maybe the Art Resort, as I would suggest taking a walk along the beach and bargaining for a stilted hut you like the look of.

Patnem

This is the sister beach to Palolem as it is located just next door and I like to think of it as the quiet sibling. It is a much smaller beach but has lots of great places to eat and chill.

My favourite place to eat is Home (try the Home Rosti, banana lassi, chocolate brownie) and Jaali Café. At night all the tables are out on the beach where you can have dinner by candle light. There are now a few yoga schools also offering classes and retreats – a friend completed a course at Kranti Yoga school and loved it.

Funtastic Beach Huts: Namaste, Om Shanti, Sea Front Beach Huts – $

These are names of beach huts along the front of Patnem. I have been to Patnem a lot of times and have never booked in advance however, if you would rather have a place sorted then check here or try calling huts directly.

Turtle Hill $$$

This is a luxurious set of beach huts set at the far North end of Patnem beach. These are priced a lot higher than a simple beach hut and are usually booked up. These need to be booked in advance. Book here

Other Places to Stay near Patnem

The Lalit $$$

Galgibag

Another secret beach that I shouldn’t really be writing about. This beach has only 2 beach shacks set back from the actual beach and maybe 3 places to stay. There is not even one structure on the beach which means it is completely empty and usually doesn’t get many visitors. In Goa this is hard to find!

If you do decide to stay here eat at the Drunken Clam, have fresh oysters at Surya’s and fresh prawns at Santosh’s. To get to Galgibag you have to cross a very narrow blue bridge, best done on a scooter or very slowly in a car – some cars won’t fit. The reason Galgibag is so deserted and without construction is because it is a protected turtle nesting site – yay! So keep it clean and don’t tell too many people on your journeys onwards!

Casa Galgibaga

Casa Galgibaga $

A very cute 2 bedroom house set back about 2 minutes walk from the beach with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. The owners can help you with anything you need while you stay here. Book here

Cassoi by Ciarans $

Options of wooden beach huts, tents or concrete rooms. These are on the beach front facing the sea but set further back than other huts along the coastline. Book here

So as you can see, we have a lot of cool options for places to stay in Goa, both North and South. Hope my blog post helped, if it did, let me know where you decide to stay in the comments and if you have any of your own recommendations please do share :)

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The post Where to Stay in Goa: All the Best Places to Stay from North to South first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Where to Stay in Goa: All the Best Places to Stay from North to South appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

How To Apply For An Indian Visa From The UK: The Easiest Step by Step Guide

Hippie in Heels — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:00:25 +0000

If you want to stay in India consecutively for longer than 180 days without needing to leave, then an e-Tourist visa will not be appropriate for you. This article is going to explain step by step, in-depth, how to apply for an Indian visa from the UK. We have a similar post on how to apply for an Indian visa from the USA. Rachel’s fiancé, Ben originally wrote this guide, and we recently did a little update with the help of her friend, Jules, to make sure everything is up to date!

This complicated paper visa application is if you are coming to India and want a visa longer than the e-Tourist visa allows. If you only are coming for a short term travel, you don’t need to worry about this and instead will want to read this post or, if you know you want to use a 3rd party, jump right to iVisa to start the process.

Things to Know Before Applying for your Indian Visa from the UK

You’ll be working with VFS, not the Indian Embassy

In the UK, the Indian Embassy outsources their visa process to VFS. This website can be quite confusing so this guide has been written to help you navigate through the difficulties.

Visa Options

A long term tourist visa will allow you to have a visa to enter India between 1 and 5 years with multiple re-entries. It lets you stay in India for a maximum of 180 days per trip. If you want a 5-year visa, biometric information will be collected at the VFS Centre. You cannot apply for a 5-year visa by post.

How to Apply

In the UK there are two methods of applying for a long term Indian tourist visa: by appointment in person and by post.

Through Appointment at a VFS Visa Centre in the UK

Currently located in the following locations: London (Goswell Road, Hounslow) Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast, Bristol, Bradford, Newcastle, Cardiff, Liverpool, Leicester, and Glasgow. Here are the location and contact details for each centre. Please read Step 1 below as the mission chosen is different to your chosen appointment centre. confusing!

By Post in the UK

This option is available however VFS advise you to make the application via appointment to avoid any inconvenience/delay. Postal applications are known to take 2-3 weeks longer than an appointment. VFS will also take no responsibility for your passport.

If you physically can’t make an appointment but you know a friend/family member that can visit a VFS Centre an authorisation letter can be submitted. This authorises them to submit your application on your behalf. The link for the authorisation letter is here.

Cost of Indian Visa For UK Citizens

The cost depends on the duration/length of the tourist visa, below is a table taken from the VFS site showing the current long term visa costs (as of 26th March 2020).

Select the following link to learn more about the options of Indian visas for UK citizens. Indian Tourist Visa Options to UK Citizens.

Indian Visa Processing Time for UK Citizens

Processing times vary for each application, it is typically between 3-5 business days, you will also need to add some time for your passport and visa to be sent back to you. If you are collecting the passport and visa from the centre, then this is typically faster.

How To Apply For An Indian Visa From The UK

Step 1: Complete the Online Visa Application

Page 1: Visa Application

Select Country– United Kingdom
Indian Mission – Please read carefully

If you live in Scotland you must Select “UK- Edinburgh” as Mission, while filling the online application form. When booking the appointment you can select Edinburgh or Glasgow.

If you live in any of the following places:

Birmingham, Durham, Humberside, Isle of Man, Isle of Scilly, Manchester, Shropshire, Yorkshire (North), Lancashire, Midlands (West), Staffordshire, Yorkshire (South), Leicestershire, Northumberland, Cleveland, Yorkshire (West), Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Tyne and Wear, Cumbria and Derbyshire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire,

you will need to select “UK- Birmingham”, as the Mission while filling the online application form, appointments can then be booked at the offices in Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, and Newcastle

If you live in any other part of the UK, not the counties mentioned above, you can book appointments at any of the 2 offices in London (Goswell Road and Hounslow), Bristol, Cardiff, and Belfast. Applicants wishing the submit their applications at these offices must select UK- London.

If you want to do a postal application please select UK-London. Visa applications by post can be made, as long as it is for a less than 5-year visa duration. ALL applicants requiring a 5-year tourist visa will need to make an appointment application as biometric information is required (fingerprints and photo).

Insert- DOB, Email, Date of Arrival
Select- Tourist Visa and select purpose that best matches your trip.

Page 2: Applicant Details Form

Applicant Details- Complete all fields for the person wishing to obtain a long term Tourist Visa, for Citizenship ID No insert- NA.
Passport Details- Insert the details of the person wishing to obtain a long term Tourist Visa.
Click Save and Continue (orange button)

Page 3: Applicants Address/Family Details/Marital Status/Occupation/Military Experience

Applicants Address Details – Present Address and Permanent Address, if they are the same tick the box.
Family Details– Father and Mothers Name, Nationality, Place of Birth (Town), Country of Birth.
Marital Status– Single or Married, provide details if married.
Parents/Grandparents Pakistan Nationals or Belong to Pakistan Area– If yes provide information.
Profession/Occupation of Traveller– Present Occupation (select from list), Employer/Business Name, Address, Past Occupation, if any, Military Services (Yes/No- if yes provide details)
When this section of the form is complete, click Save and Continue (orange button) at the bottom of the form.

Page 4: Details of Visa, Previous Visa Information, Countries Visited in 10 Years, SAARC Countries, References

All applicants requiring 4 years or less can make a postal application. After deciding the duration of your visa, complete the first section of the form.

Places to be Visited– Insert places in India planning to visit into box one and two if required. Of course, if you change plans once in India, it’s not a big deal. At least get the flying into and out of destination on there.
Duration of Visa– Please insert the duration in months- so 1 year would be 12, 1.5 years would be 18 etc.
No of Entries– This means how many times you can re-enter India, as there is no cost difference between single and multiple entries, its best to select multiple unless you know you will only travel to India once whilst the visa is active.
Port of Arrival- Please insert the Airport/Sea Port city you are planning to enter India, eg Mumbai.
Expected Port of Exit- This is not a mandatory field but if you know, please enter the airport or port you have booked to leave India.
Previous Visa/Current Visa- If you have had or have an Indian Visa please provide the details required.
Other Information– List countries you have visited in last 10 years.
SAARC Countries– If you have visited any of these countries in the past 3 years select Yes and fill in the details- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Reference:

India – This would be a known reference if you have one in India, if you don’t use your hotel/accommodation as a reference.
UK – This can be anyone you know who can act as a reference for you in the UK.

When finished click Save and Continue (Orange Button)

Page 5: Upload Passport Photo

Choose File– Select the Choose File button first, then a window will open, find and select your passport photo image file, it must be in JPEG format and be no larger than 1mb in size. The image should 350 pixels (width) and 350 pixels (height). It should be a recent front-facing photograph with white background, do not scan your passport image and use this, it should be a new passport style photo.

The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded photograph is not clear and as per specification.

Upload Photo– After choosing the file to upload, click the orange Upload Photo Button. This will take you to the resize screen.

Page 6: Resize and Select Photo

Resize and Select- A preview of the JPEG passport photo you uploaded will appear in the left-hand box, with your mouse select the area of the photo showing your whole face and white background when happy click the orange Save and continue button.

Page 7: Review Passport Photo

If happy with the photo select “Save and Continue” if not happy select “Upload Image Again” and if you’re getting frustrated Save and Temporarily Exit or use the hassle free service!

Page 8: Review and Confirm Application

Review the form and make sure all information is completed and accurate, the visa could get rejected if this is not the case. If happy please select Verified and Continue button at the bottom. If you want to make changes select Modify.

Page 9: Confirmation

Now your application has been confirmed!

Click the Print Form (orange button), the completed application will then automatically download a PDF, into your Downloads folder.

*Make a note of your Application ID (Starting with GBR) you will need this to pay the visa fees online.

If you will be carrying out a postal application there is no need to click Book an Appointment, unless you are applying for a 5-year visa and biometric data is required.

If you click Book Appointment you will be taken to this screen: Select the UK Mission you inserted in the application form, then select “Get Appointment.”

At the time of writing this guide, the Get Appointment button was not working. Don’t worry if this is still the case keep on reading!

Step 2: Complete Declaration Form/Insert Passport Photo and Sign Printed Application Form

Declaration Form

The next step is to go to this link and download and print, complete and sign the Declaration Form, which looks like this:

Application Form

Print out the application form that was downloaded from the Indian Visa site. Make sure you have 2 passport photos that is 2 inches/5cm by 2 inches/5cm and glue one to the form, the second will be inserted in the envelope. Sign the box below the passport image box. The passport photos must be 5cm by 5cm – a special size specifically required for the Indian Visa.

Make sure to also sign the second page at the bottom, this should match your signature, all signatures should be the same as in your passport.

Step 3: Book Appointment/Make Payment

You’ll want to go to this link.

Page 1

Insert your Application ID Number (GBR)
Insert Passport Number used for Application
Click Retrieve Application Button

Page 2: Re-Confirm Details

Once you have clicked Retrieve Application you will be taken to this screen:

For Postal Applications

Mode of Submission: Please select Sent by Royal Mail SDE
Submission Centre: Hounslow London will automatically be selected.
Mode of Delivery: You have two options, you can either select IVAC provided Secured Mail Envelope and pay for VFS to return your passport with visa inserted OR
You can insert return self-addressed special delivery envelope with your application. If so select Self-Provided Royal Mail Special Delivery Envelope.

For Appointment Applications

Mode of Submission- In Person at the Application Centre
Submission Centre- Select the Mission that is closest to you, not the Mission you put in the application form!
Mode of Delivery- You have three options:
- You can either select IVAC provided Secured Mail Envelope and pay for VFS to return your passport with visa inserted
- Collect in-person from the Application Centre OR
- You can select return self-addressed special delivery envelope with your application if so select Self-Provided Royal Mail Special Delivery Envelope.

Visa Details

Please make sure you complete the following:

Visa Category- This should show Tourist Visa
Visa Duration- Please select the duration of the visa you are applying for- this must match what you inserted on the application.
No of Entries –For Single select- S, For Multiple select M and Triple select T. This must match what you inserted into the application form.
SMS Service- You can sign up to an SMS update service for a fee of 1.44GBP, if you don’t remove the tick from the box.
Photo Upload Service– Untick this box as you are already providing 2 passport photos.

Finally, Click the Save Button.

Book an Appointment

Now go to the Appointment Menu and select the New Appointment Option.

A new window will appear showing a calendar, select a date that is suitable for you highlighted yellow:

You will then be taken to a screen that allows you to select the time of the appointment and confirm. When you are happy with the Date and Time select confirm. Make sure to have all your documents ready for this appointment. The next stage is to pay for the Visa online.

Click the Home option in the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Make Payment

After going back home you need to go to the Top Left of the Page and go to Visa Fee & Pay Details, and select Fee Details and Payment:

You will then see the payment summary below:

If the amount looks correct click Continue and you will be taken to a Payment Confirmation Screen, click Submit.

You will then be re-directed to a payment screen that looks like this, insert your payment information and click Pay Now.

When Payment has been confirmed a receipt will be generated, save this and print it. This will be inserted into your Application envelope.

Step 4: Final Stage, Prepare Your Application

Now you are ready to take your application to the appointment you have booked or post your application. Just make sure you have the following in one envelope:

Printed Application Form that has been signed on Page 1 and 2, with one 5cm by 5cm Passport Photo glued to the Application Form.
A second 5cm by 5cm Passport Photo inserted into the envelope.
Your completed Declaration Form signed and dated.
Your Passport inserted in the envelope.
A Royal Mail pre-paid return signed delivery envelope inserted (if you selected this option), do not include if you selected for VFS to return your passport and visa.

For postal applications seal the envelope and mark it to:

Houslow Application Centre Address
Indian Visa and Consular Application Centre
The Vista Centre
First Floor – Part A Block
50 Salisbury Road
Hounslow
TW4 6JQ

All visa applications by post must go to the above address.

That is it! You’ve finished your application. We hope this article on how to apply for an Indian visa from the UK made this a breeze for you. Thanks to Ben and Jules for taking the time to do this for all our UK readers!

For More India Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Hippie in Heels India Travel Guide

Trip Planning Tips

Logistics

Packing Tips

Itinerary Tips

For more questions, feel free to join our Hippie in Heels: India Travel Tips Facebook group.

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The post How To Apply For An Indian Visa From The UK: The Easiest Step by Step Guide first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post How To Apply For An Indian Visa From The UK: The Easiest Step by Step Guide appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

10 Cool Things to Do in HAMPI: Chasing Sunsets and Climbing Boulders

Jules Nazareth — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 12:00:43 +0000

Rachel first visited and wrote about this beautiful landmark back in 2014. You can read her original post here. With the help of one of her close friends, Jules, we’ve given this post a much needed update. Here’s your guide to the best things to do in Hampi today!

I, Jules, first made a last minute trip to Hampi in 2016 on my last holiday to Goa before I decided to move there. It was a crazy trip squashed in the middle of a jam packed 2 week holiday with 15 people. We decided we didn’t want to be away from Goa for too long so 5 of us thought it would be a good idea to do a rapid overnight trip to Hampi and back. Looking back it was great but wow it was quick with a lot of time spent in the car and I am not sure I would recommend going for that short of a time. Instead I’d spend at least two nights here.

We left at 10am from North Goa and arrived in Hampi after the sun had gone down and actually the boats across the river had stopped. This left us no choice but to take an illegal Karnataka coconut boat (these are explained below) trip across the river in absolute silence and complete darkness so we didn’t get caught by the police. We stayed one night, did one full day of temple sight-seeing, watched one glorious sunset, and got back in the car and drove 8 hours back to Goa.

My second trip to Hampi was in 2017 where I gave myself a more reasonable 2 night stay which included a huge thunder and lightening storm, two glorious sunsets, and some of the same and a few new temples.

Before I tell you all about Hampi, I want to make sure you know about the India Guide ebook which is literally everything you need to know about traveling in India safely and will make sure you see all the best “do not miss” places here on your budget, which can be under $20 a day if you wanted it to. Buy it here. Read more about the book and see reviews here.

Hampi is like something straight out of the set of Jurassic Park. The huge boulders don’t seem to make sense. How are they placed in such strange positions? Why aren’t they rolling down hills and squashing all tourists in their paths? Not to mention the sheer size and open landscape of it all. It is literally a magical town where they must have used some form of magic or sorcery to build the temples all those hundreds of years ago… To have all those beautiful boulders scattered around as they are – some are even purposefully balanced on top of another. Apparently some of that magic is erosion but we will come on to that.

If you can fit Hampi into your trip schedule, do not hesitate and if you can’t then you should try and re-work your schedule. Hampi has the right balance between history, beautiful architecture, nature and fun backpacker vibes.

What is Hampi?

Hampi is a UNESCO world heritage site in Karnataka, India, about 7 hours from Bangalore or 10 from Goa by overnight bus.

While you can only see it in ruins now, it was once one of the richest cities in the world. Yep, the whole world, not just India. It was the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire for over 200 years. Once upon a time, you would enter an ancient metropolis adorned with temples, palaces, markets streets, and religious monuments. It flourished between the 14th and 15th century with most temples and monuments being Hindu alongside a few Jain temples and one Muslim mosque and tomb.

In 1565, everything changed after the battle of Talikota took place and the city of Vijayanagara was defeated. Armies spent 5 months destroying monuments, and what you see today is what remains.

As Rachel said, unlike Stonehenge, where the attraction is a small area, the entire town of Hampi is the attraction. This city is in the middle of nowhere and you can spend days exploring different corners.

Hampi Travel Tips

When to Go to Hampi

Don’t go in the hottest months (April and May) as sightseeing will be unbearable.

How to Get to Hampi

By Bus

If you are travelling from Goa, a bus can be taken from the bus stands of Mapusa or Panjim, directly to Hospet. This is an overnight bus and takes around 11 hours. Have a look or on Redbus and if traveling solo think about booking 2 sleeper beds next to each other to avoid having a stranger in your compartment.

The bus stop is also a small market.

By Train

Additionally, you can take a daytime train from Vasco De Gama in the South of Goa to Hospet. Check all my tips for booking a train here. If you want to book, you book here.

Once at Hospet take a rickshaw to your chosen accommodation in Hampi which should be approximately 13km away.

Getting Around Hampi

The best way to explore Hampi is by rickshaw (more on that below). If you want to stay on the same side of the river as Rachel did, do not drive there, it’s a huge wrap around. Instead, take the taxi boat across. It only takes 3 minutes, BUT it stops running at 5:00 PM, and there is no way to the other side except to drive for an hour. If it’s late at night you’re bound to get lost in the jungle as Rachel did!

Where to Stay in Hampi

2020: Please check the area you have booked is not Anegundi, across the river as most places are unfortunately closed awaiting demolition

View From the Room

Boulders

Another great and slightly more expensive option is Boulders. It is located outside of the main tourist area of Hampi and is approximately 7km from the main World Heritage sites. It is set on the banks of the Tunghbadra River in the Yamini Hills. Perfect for nature lovers and travellers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the usual India. The accommodation can help with a driver to take you around sightseeing during the day. Check prices here

Shanthi Guesthouse

Rachel originally stayed at Shanthi Guesthouse which was 12,000 INR for 3 nights, although she thinks they could have negotiated better had they not been fairly intoxicated the majority of the time. That price included breakfast and laundry and was in December at peak season (when rates are doubled). The cottages are along the rice paddies and you are GUARANTEED a badass view of the greatest sunset of all time from a swinging porch bed. Check prices here

Sloth Bear Resort

Another spot Rachel also stayed was at the Sloth Bear Resort, which is part of a National Park and you can, as you might guess, see sloth bears on safari. Read the review here and check prices here

Mowgli Guesthouse

If you want another option for where to stay in Hampi, Rachel also stayed at Mowgli Guesthouse which is pretty identical and has similar reviews online. They have the same exact view from the rooms, which are now called “vista rooms,” as well as many guesthouses in Hampi.

The service wasn’t great. It’s the view that counts. Hampi doesn’t have a lot to offer for accommodation so these are your best bet. Check prices here

Hyatt

When Rachel’s parents came, these were booked and nothing else looked appealing so they stayed 45 minutes away at the Hyatt, which was in a unique workers complex. Check prices here

Check here for more places to stay in Hampi

Places to Visit in Hampi

When visiting Hampi, be ready to spend your day exploring temples. There’s a lot, like really a lot, of incredible landscapes to see and unbelievably huge boulders you’ll want to take photos next to. Rachel walked through mazes of boulders wondering how in the hell it all came to be, and when it is your turn, you will be feeling the same. After doing a quick Google search you will find out that geologists state after millions and maybe even billions of years of erosion from rain, sun and wind, the monoliths began to crack, break and fall into what we see today. Still sounds pretty magical!

The Vijaya Vittala Temple is famous for its intricately carved chariot while the Virupaksha Temple is an impressive 49-meters tall. The Narasimha Statue, which was Rachel’s favorite and also one of mine, is carved from one single stone, and the Hanuman Temple sits on top of a hill. There’s also the underground Shiva Temple which remains partially flooded all year round and many many more temples you’ll want to see!

Rachel wrote that Hampi is said to be the Vanara Sena, or Kingdom of the Apes, which as Hindus believe, is where Lord Rama fought in the Ramayana. You will understand this reference when faced with the large groups of monkeys trying to steal the bananas you were coerced into buying from the local salesman – be careful!

10 Things to Do in Hampi: What Not to Miss!

From Rachel’s trip with her mom and dad

1. Hire a local rickshaw driver to take you around all the sites for a day

There is a lot see in Hampi so maybe narrow it down. If you have time, split your temple visits across a few days. After a few temples I know we all can feel a bit temple-d out and then miss the beauty of what we are meant to be seeing. My advice would be to find a rickshaw driver you like and ask him to take you to 3 temples, somewhere for lunch and one sunset spot each day.

If you are lucky some rickshaw drivers will tell you information about each temple as you are about to enter it. However, I suggest buying a little information book from the bazaar with facts and pictures of each World Heritage Site to help explain the beauty of what you are seeing. Your rickshaw driver may also have some secret spots to show you, away from the crowded tourist track! And if you are lucky, he might even let you have a sneaky test-drive on the deserted back roads of Hampi. It is definitely more difficult that it looks!

The price you should pay per day really depends on the amount of sites you visit, the distance covered and how much you enjoyed the day. I would suggest between 500 and 800 INR per day per rickshaw – not per person.

2. Take the taxi boat across the river to the “hippie” side of Hampi, Anegundi.

2020 Update: Unfortunately, Anegundi is currently going through some major developments with a majority of the area about to be demolished. Hold off any plans to stay on this side for now and hopefully we will have some good news by the beginning of next season – October.

Don’t forget to see both sides of the river! As Rachel said, this is so you can take part in drum circles, dread-lock making, and whatever other hippie activities. This also puts you on the side of the reservoir where you can experience the quiet of Hampi. You will usually find a big hippie community with hostels, restaurants, movie nights, bouldering groups, and lots of lovely luscious green rice paddy fields.

3. Catch the sunset from Hanuman Temple on top of the hill

This is a beautiful spot that gives you a 360 degree view over the amazing and unbelievable selection of boulders in Hampi. It is a 572 step climb so don’t make the mistake of trying to conquer this hill during the daytime heat and don’t let the step count put you off as it really is a view you shouldn’t miss. It does get busy at the peak sunset hour so if you are feeling motivated, try and make it for sunrise instead. You will need to hire a rickshaw to take you to this spot – ask for Monkey Temple Hill or Hanuman Temple.

4. Go cliff jumping and cool off in Hampi’s lake – watch out for the crocs!

Cool off in the large swimming lake a short drive outside the main sites of Hampi. This lake has a huge warning sign for crocodiles painted on the rock but Rachel never saw any and everyone there was swimming. Locals said there aren’t any in the lake, only the river. You’ll see a group of people laying out near the main cliff, and if it’s empty that day, ask a guide where people jump. The water isn’t clear, but people have been jumping from this same place for years! Take a rickshaw or ask the locals for directions to the swimming lake.

Colorful Guests Visiting the Elephant Stables

5. Be amazed by the size of the Elephant Stables.

The old Elephant Stables are on the same grounds as the Lotus Mahal. Venture inside what used to be where the Maharajahs would keep their elephants and compare the size of these to your usual horse stables. Have a seat in the shaded grassy area with a freshly cut coconut and think about the unlucky soul who had to clean each one.

6. Enjoy views from Matanga Hill after all your temple sightseeing.

This is a slightly more challenging climb that doesn’t have a specific route, more like a climb up along some man-made rock steps. It should take no more than 30 minutes with reasonable fitness and gives you a 360 degree view of Hampi including some of the World Heritage Sites. A great place to see the full beauty of Virupaksha Temple from a distance. Another great spot for sunrise and sunset.

Rachel did it with a guide who gave her some cool bits of information. For example, the statue of Ganesh (who is her favorite god!) has a snake around his stomach. The guide/driver shared that it was to keep him from eating too much food!

7. Get a guide at Vijaya Vittala Temple – Chariot Temple

You are probably sick of being offered guided tours around every single site you visit but if you are going to choose one in Hampi, do it at Vijaya Vittala Temple which is also where the famous carved stone chariot is. I suggest a guide here because they will show you how to play music on the 56 musical pillars (probably/hopefully not all of them) at the Ranga Matapa. If hit in the right way each pillar makes a different note. You can have a try yourself but good luck finding the right pillars!

8. Hire a Karnataka boat and driver to take you out in the lake. Go for a swim!

The boats are traditional fishing boats for the state and are made from trees and tar. Maybe even buy the boat, like Rachel did. On the Hampi lake you shouldn’t pay any more than 250 INR for a little boat trip around the lake. These are the same boats that were used to cross over to Anegundi before the introduction of the actual motor boat, and the same boat I had to sneak across the river in on my first trip to Hampi!

9. Take a break at Mango Tree

On the same side of the river as the Virupaksha Temple there is a great restaurant for backpackers called Mango Tree. Take a break from the Hampi heat and have a mango shake or a thali. Word has spread about this place so it can be difficult to get a seat at peak times.

10. Go bouldering

I am sure you are well aware by now but in case you aren’t, Hampi is full of boulders. All different shapes and sizes that keep you waiting for a dinosaur to pop its head around the corner any minute. If you are feeling like you can’t see another temple or you’re in the mood for a challenge then pay a visit to to one of the few bouldering centres located in Anegundi. Tom and Jerry, Goan Corner – Boulder Centre (also a great hostel) and Sunny’s Bouldering School. We don’t have any personal testimonials but check out their TripAdvisors page for the latest reviews. And if you are lucky you might even get a few dogs to oversee your climb!

Again seeing as this is taking place in Anegundi, we will need to wait for some more information regarding the demolition and update you in October, until then please do contact the centres directly as the boulders will be there, demolition or no demolition.

And there you have it, all the best things to do in Hampi. Have you been? What did you think?

General India Travel Tips

Can’t go to Hampi, if you can’t get into India. Yes, you do need a visa, even if you’re only here for a short time. It’s super easy, and you can get it right on iVisa.
Don’t forget to get some travel insurance! Especially if you’re going to do some of the more adventurous activities. We always recommend World Nomads, and you can even easily get a quote on the sidebar or going here.
For cheap domestic flights, compare on Kiwi.
If you need a phone while in India and you can’t use SIM cards, try out Trabug.

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The post 10 Cool Things to Do in HAMPI: Chasing Sunsets and Climbing Boulders first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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Picking Up Where We Left Off in Goa

Rachel Jones — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:21:42 +0000

As I flew back to Goa, I wasn’t sure how I felt. I was excited to go back but also wondered how it would feel to come back as a tourist, without my home and my dogs, and if it would still feel like it did for all the years Ben and I lived there. I started my trip in India on a safari and was pretty tired and jetlagged plus really excited to see friends – when I walked out of Goa airport, it was literally as if I’d been away on a two-week vacation. It was just all the feels, everyone yelling “taxi, taxi”, pushing through to our driver, like always and then taking the same winding roads home that I could do with my eyes closed.

The first week there, I kind of bounced around. I stayed with Priyanka at first. She owns Jamboree Creek and saved me a cabin. Then, I headed over to my friend Tia’s for a few nights. She just had a baby, Zyon, and I’m his godmother. It was so perfect to crash with them and get to know him. He’s such a bubbly happy baby. It was really like no time had passed. He’s not on social media yet, so I won’t share photos but trust me, he’s adorable.

Jamboree Creek

Our old house in Asssagao was ready for us to come back and stay and our landlord kindly let us stay for free (no one has been in it since we moved!) but I didn’t want to stay until Ben came. I thought it would be too weird to be there on my own, no Ben, no dogs, no cat. Ben was working in Mumbai and Pune but once he reached Goa, we moved to our old house.

The monkeys have taken over our house even more than before and really put on a show!

my balcony

Remember when I spent a monsoon re-vamping it? I bought/made curtains, rugs, re-upholstered furniture, Ben made a couch, painted all the chairs and tables, and so much. It was all still there just as I left it – even the house plants and art. Walking back in that was a shock! I figured the landlord would have been there and changed things. But it turns out, no one had and it was literally still our home. While it might have been sad without the pets, our other favorite dogs came to play. I warn you, this post is mostly about Goa dogs haha! I can’t help it. I love them!

Snowy, who is Happy Bar’s dog, kind of stayed with us for a year when we had Huck. They were good buddies and he spent a lot of time at our house, taking naps next to us on the couch. But Shanti one day took a piece of pizza out of Snowy’s mouth and that started a bitter feud that kept Snowy from coming around so much. We still saw her at Happy Bar along with Elvis and Question Mark but she didn’t sleep at our house anymore.

She must have realized that our dogs weren’t around because she came back – nearly 11 years old, she’s really struggled with her age and when I woke up in the morning she was sleeping on the back porch and came into the kitchen like she did in 2013. It was so crazy how dogs remember these things! She even walked me everywhere like she used to, leading the way and looking back every 10 seconds to make sure I was coming. Back in the day, we would drive our Omni van to Mapusa and she would follow us the whole way there running behind the van. Her, Elvis, and Question Mark the Happy Bar Dogs would walk Huck with us all in a big pack when Huck was alive.

Her and Blackey Whitey dog hung around a lot. We went and saw Three-Legged-Dog (the dog we took to get amputated when he was hit by a scooter outside Cream Choc, it was such a crazy day) and he didn’t remember us sadly but was still cute as ever perched on his bench.

When we first took him into the animal aid to fix his leg

“trippy” now

Then there’s Puppy. Puppy was a street dog outside our house that we found in a box in the jungle. We tried to feed him but he was so scared of people and skittish. The next time we found him, he had a plastic bottle on his head. We decided to tie him up to keep him safe and then let him be in our gated area when we were home. He loved Omni and Shanti and even Kitkat and eventually, he started coming in the house, sleeping on the couch, and eventually the bed! I took him to get neutered before we left Goa and our friend Sonu took Puppy into his house to live. It was really sad to leave Puppy behind but he has a good home.

Puppy and Blackey Whitey Dog

Puppy when we left in May on the left (in my bed), Puppy now on the right

When we first saw him, he was as scared as he always used to be until he smelled us and realized who we were and I swear it was so cute he started squealing and making squeezing noises and jumping on us. It was all we could do not to cry! He’s such a cute dog and his new family loves him so much! He came over every evening with Sonu to hang out.

Overall Goa was just how we left it. Thalassa might have a new location, and Antares burnt to the ground, there are some new shops and some new party places but it’s all still the Goa we know and love. We planned out our meals to make sure we could eat all our favorite food, of course. That meant going to Thalassa (which also meant going to Mariketty’s house for a homemade lunch), Caio Bella, Artjuna, Baba Au Rhum, Villa Blanche, Gunpowder, Banyan, La Plage, and more. It’s also nice to see the owners of some of these places who became friends over the years.

Managed to get to Gunpowder twice, yum! It’s actually my favorite restaurant in the entire world

local food at Vinayak just down the road from my house, a restaurant that we ate at once a week at least

I might live in Mexico but I still got the tacos at Vaayu’s Prana cafe, no mango is as good as the Indian mango!

Popped into Villa Blanche most mornings for a coffee and lunch at Artjuna is a must

Beautiful Garden of Dreams

We were lucky to get to see all of our best friends while we were in Goa who made time to meet up with us. Some babies are now little kids running around and growing up so that was a change, but my friends are all the same and while we were apart for so long, it didn’t seem that way. It was so nice to hang at the beach, go shopping, wander around Mapusa market, have long drawn-out lunches, and of course, have some late nights partying. Can’t go to Goa and not have a party! Can’t have a party without it ended up at our house haha!

Holi paint

Bought a Ganesh which is now on my car here in Mexico (pictured above) and also got the fabric I needed for my wedding in Mapusa with Jules!

Went to the flea market for tea and spices – something I actually never did when I lived there! (And never will again, what a rip-off haha!)

I’ll be updating the Goa ebook for next season with all the things that have changed in Goa and tips on a few new places I checked out. A couple that are special are my friend Saffron’s new art gallery, Studio Arpora, and the new Goa Collective Bazaar at Hilltop on Friday nights. The market has great shopping and some of the best restaurants in Goa are represented there. Must try: Eddie’s Khow Suey. The full-size new Flame store was quite well-curated. Rangeela moved to Assagao last year and their shop has gotten even bigger and better! Tia and Rachel from Fara now have a second Alchemy Shop in the new Sublime in Assagao which is in a friends old house – that was fun to visit and just a stones-throw from my house so I can walk there.

Studio Arpora & the Hilltop Market

Rangeela & the Flame Store

When it was time to leave, it felt like time had moved way too fast. Everyone kept asking “did you make the right choice, do you wish you hadn’t moved?” and while I LOVE Goa, we feel like we did make the right choice in moving. Goa is paradise, and there is nowhere else like it. I will always come back to Goa every year and hopefully for a month each year – but Merida is “home” now and it’s kind of like “real life” while Goa is our Neverland.

I have some photos from the day we moved:

The crew.

It was so awesome to see all of our friends again, and we can’t wait to go back next season. When it was time to leave, I was at the house on my own beause Ben had left a day ahead of me. I was all packed up and Babu was outside waiting to take me to the airport. I looked around pretty sad looking at the empty house that was our home for five years and then through the front door bounces in (literally) Blackey Whitey shaking her tail to say hi so fast that her whole butt was shaking. It was the perfect goodbye!

The post Picking Up Where We Left Off in Goa first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Picking Up Where We Left Off in Goa appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

10 Things to Know Before Taking a Bandhavgarh National Park Safari

Rachel Jones — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:15:05 +0000

Going on a safari in India is on so many India travel bucket lists. After doing it and seeing a tiger, I can say it is really SO worth it – even if you have to fly half way across the world. I have done many safaris in India, but the Bandhavgarh National Park safari as the best because I finally saw a tiger. It is one of the most amazing memories I’ll have from being in India. I have traveled all over India and lived there for five years, but this might be the most special experience I’ve had in India.

There are some things to know before you go on a safari in India, so I’m going to share some tips so you are as prepared as you can possibly be! You might already know, but Bandhavgarh has more tigers than any park in India.

Getting to Bandhavgarh: The park is in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The easiest way is to fly into Jabalpur and then take a four-hour car journey into the area of the park. The nearest village is Tala. Your hotel will probably arrange this for you. I flew Spicejet but Air India fly there as well. It’s a tiny airport! You can also take local buses (do not recommend as it will be a lot of bus changes and take ages!) or take a train to Umaria then a taxi.

things to know before you take a Bandhavgarh National Park safari

1. You really should book a hotel before you go

It’s best to have a hotel set up ahead of time so they can help with tickets and book them for you. You can book your tickets online at the MP Park website if you want and decide on a hotel, but it’s not always accepting foreign cards without issues. You can book a safari lodge that includes your drives in the tariff which is what I recommend. You can book up to three months ahead of time and you should make sure to at least book a couple of weeks ahead because there is a limit to how many cars can come into the park.

Bandhavgarh National Park safari accommodations range from super budget to super luxury. I stayed at Samode (review here) and they include the safari in the price and book it for you. It’s by far the most luxurious (and expensive) in the area. The Taj Mahua Kothi is luxury but pretty mid-range in comparison, priced at under $300/night. Pugdundee Safaris King’s Lodge is less than $200 a night and very very nice. If you look at these places, you’ll see that most luxury ones like this include the safari in the price (and food and drinks) so make sure you think about the inclusions to see what the best deal will be).

If you look on hotels.com and booking.com with Tala searched (it is on those links) you can see a wide variety of Bandhavgarh hotels and resorts from around 2,000 INR and up (under $50). Typically these budget ones will not arrange your park tickets.

2. Park tickets need to be booked way ahead of time

There are limited tickets for the parks. You must plan ahead of time for a safari. Bandhavgarh safari cost is the same for foreigners and Indians, even though it didn’t use to be. It’s 1,500 INR for the permit fee for a whole Jeep and then you have to rent the Jeep (and driver) which is 2,500 INR. You also have to take a government guide with you which is a few hundred rupees.

If you aren’t coming in a group, the permit fee is 250 (not taking a whole Jeep for 1,500. Bandhavgarh National Park charges aren’t that high in my opinion and even for a budget backpacker, this is something to make sure you put in your itinerary!

So if you are backpacking and want to go on your own, then you will get a single person permit fee of 250 then when you arrive, you will have to split the cost of the Jeep hire with whoever else is in the Jeep.

3. The park isn’t open all year – AND it does get very cold

The park isn’t open all year and closes for the monsoon months of July, August, and September. In May and June, it’s likely to see more tigers because it’s hot and they search for water, but it’s very hot on the safari for the visitors. December and January are peak months and so it’s crowded. I went in March and it was perfect, but honestly still crowded. The park is always closed on Wednesdays and some holidays.

It will be cold in the morning and evenings pretty much all of the open months except maybe April and May. Mid- March was still cold in the mornings and evenings when I was there. The mornings at 5 AM were cold enough we needed blankets and hot water bottles on our laps. I recommend layers – and will be putting up a packing post soon!

4. It’s more crowded then you might imagine

The park is 105 square meters and divided into three “core” zones. Each zone can have 20 cars maximum in it at a time. The park is closed for lunch so you can do a morning safari or an evening safari. If you want to do an all-day safari it costs a lot more and you’ll need to get a special permit.

The core zones are called Tala, Magdhi, and Khitauli. There are also buffer zones. You don’t get to pick your zone if you go through a hotel, because they do it for you and it was explained to me it’s almost like a lottery and they don’t find out until the night before. You want Magdhi zone – it is the best currently. Tala was closed when I was there so they re-routed those cars to the other two main zones so it was extra-crowded but this happens often with the zones.

If you book online, you should be able to pick your zone from what I understand.

When a tiger is spotted within a zone, word travels fast and all the Jeeps go off quickly to get to the point the tiger is located. Imagine twenty Jeeps all speeding off together, then stopping altogether in the same tiny space.

I was pretty surprised by how loud the fellow tourists were and that no one told them to be quiet. After all, we are paying a lot for this experience – because it’s MAGICAL – and it to me, should be common knowledge to be quiet and respectful. Yet, there are Jeeps that were full of tourists who were yelling, laughing, playing music on their phones, and arguing with other cars about views being blocked. I lived in India for years and am used to the noise and such but I guess I thought people would have been better behaved during such a special moment. I just wanted to shush everyone because all the yelling was ruining the moment, to be honest.

5. It’s also very very dusty

All the Jeeps make a LOT of dust and you’ll likely have a Jeep in front of you – the drivers sometimes spin the tires out and create more when going quickly to find a tiger that has been spotted. You will want a scarf to put over your face and maybe even hair. We didn’t have one on our first drive and luckily Samode had medical face masks. We looked crazy, but we didn’t care.

Check out my packing post (coming soon) for tips on what to pack and how to protect yourself from all the dust.

6. Tigers are hard to spot and you might not see one

It’s no guarantee that you see a tiger! While sometimes they come into the open and you can have a clear view, it isn’t always the case. The first sighting we had, I couldn’t SEE the tiger at first, after all tey are good at camouflage. I saw three one one safari ride and on another one, saw zero.

Can you see the tiger below? He’s there!

7. A government forest guide will go with you

Even if you stay with a luxury hotel that has it’s own guides and safari vehicles, you will still have a government guide go with you in the car. This is to keep things safe and make sure you leave the park when you are supposed to, don’t get out of the car, and they will help find the tigers.

8. Yes, it’s an open Jeep and no, the guides don’t carry guns for protection

The cars are Gypsy’s and they are open. There is nothing there for protection. If a tiger wants to attack you, it will. They HAVE jumped on the hood of Jeeps before – my guide told me! But, that was once so don’t worry. There is a limit of how close you can be to the tiger and while it could sneak up by you and has walked right up next to cars, that is so so rare.

When you see a tiger coming toward you, it is the driver’s responsibility to then drive off. There is a distance they need to keep and the tiger is in charge so if it comes toward you, you must back away.

9. It’s not only tigers

You’ll also see sambar, spotted deer, leopards, birds, monkeys, sloth bear, and jackals. Yes, the tigers steal the show!

10. There are no wild elephants – and if they come, the zone will close

This park isn’t known for wild elephants. They just haven’t been in this area – but that doesn’t mean they don’t come sometimes. They are having their land taken and so they get displaced but it sort of messes up the vibe of the zones and is dangerous for the tourists because they will charge vehicles. They closed the Tala zone while I was there because a wild elephant came into the zone.

If you do a full-day tour, they might offer you an elephant ride. There are elephants that the patrol guides use to make sure the tigers are in the zones and not going out to the villages. They have tamed elephants for this reason forever and always will – but taming this for tourism isn’t cool. While I’ve read there are elephant rides, I did not see any there and none were offered so I hope they have stopped them. Avoid the elephant rides if it is offered to you.

Pin these tips for Bandhavgarh National Park safari in India for later!

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Bandhavgarh Resorts: Samode Safari Lodge Review

Rachel Jones — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 13:15:30 +0000

After 10 months away from India, the longest I’d been away since 2012, I was dying to get back to “Mother India” and there was no better place to start my time there than a safari with Samode Safari Lodges, the most luxurious of the Bandhavgarh resorts. I’m going do a little Samode Safari Lodge review and share about seeing a tiger for the first time. Next week, I will put up a post with things to know before visiting Bandhavgarh National Park plus what to pack and wear in another upcoming post.

When I first came to India, I knew nothing about the country but really wanted to see a tiger. I lived here for five years, but alas, no tigers were seen – not due to lack of safaris! There were several reasons I chose to go on safari in Bandhavgarh, but the main reason is that it’s the most densely populated area of tigers in India so your chances of seeing one on safari are very high. Samode Hotels have a safari lodge there and staying with them was a no-brainer. I have stayed with them in Jaipur at the Haveli and the Palace and they are the most luxury over the top hotel in India when it comes to small touches and personal attention from staff. There are just twelve rooms at the lodge so it’s a really cozy environment.

When you stay at Samode, you pay a daily tariff like any hotel but this will include your meals, drinks, and safaris. You can book online to see the full breakdown of the rates and inclusions/exclusions. To get to and from the easiest way is to fly into Jabalpur and take a taxi to the property, which they can arrange.

Samode Safari Lodge Review

I’m going to share about the lodge itself, the food, the rooms, and the actual safari, all of which were amazing! One thing that is so important on a safari is having great guides and we were blown away with how awesome ours were.

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Lodge and Grounds

There is the main lodge at the center of the property with a beautiful pool next to it. In the lodge are a games room, library, a main gathering area with sofas and fireplaces, and then the back patio for meals which was offering the best views. They have so much amazing vintage furniture (like all Samode properties) and everything from the napkins to the sugar dishes for coffee is all so cute and well thought out.

I love all the wooden rafters on the roof and the beautiful fabrics they’ve chosen for all the furniture. There was WiFi in the lodge, so I did come here in the mornings (so early, jet-lagged) to get some work done. They have a coffee bar set up for those going on safari. I also got time to use the pool after the morning safaris, where of course they come bring you cold towels and drinks while you relax.

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Food

On the night I arrived at nearly 10 PM, I was so tired and they offered to bring me food to the room. They brought me the most amazing thali and butter naan, which I devoured (of course eating with my hands!) then had a bath and passed out cold for the night.

All the dinners are thalis. Their butter chicken was so good, I had to have seconds and every time I finished a naan, they brought another to the table. Dinners are sit down and they have them either on the patio, by the pool with candle-light, or inside a second lodge room. Sometimes they do fun alternatives like walking down a candle-lit path to tables set up near a movie projector, which they played a film about tigers on. Before dinner, there are cocktails and such down by the pool!

For breakfast, they have a buffet set up at the patio of the lodge, and you can also order fresh juice, coffee, tea, and egss, bacon, and sausage.

Breakfast and lunch are both a mix of Indian and Western cuisine and I went for the Indian food on most occasions! I loved chole bhatura was so mouthwatering (pictured above).

Lunch was all kinds of yummy things like baked chicken, pad thai, and a wide range of food. The bannoffie pie was so good – someone bring me another slice!

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Rooms

Relaxing in the room without WiFi was actually amazing because it was so nice to unwind and enjoy the surroundings. The rooms are huge and the back patio, pictured below was so perfect to watch the jungle from.

The main living room was huge and had a little coffee bar, couch, TV, and a second bathroom. I love that they had a second bathroom – so great when you’re traveling with a friend.

Samode is all about the small touches. They put a little note and chocolates on my bed at night and after the evening safaris (which got cold) they had a warm foot bath waiting in the room. Perfection!

I loved the kantha quilts, hand-woven rugs, and all the traditional Indian touches in the room. I sat on the bed in the morning looking out at the jungle hoping to see a tiger. I didn’t, but it COULD have happened. They have tigers on the property and saw tracks one night while we were there.

The bathroom was HUGE. There was a shower, bath, and closet, plus two vanities. But then, because one bathroom wasn’t enough, there was a SECOND bath outside! I actually used it like a pool and filled it with cooler water and laid out and got a tan.

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Safari

Your safaris are included in your room tariff and they take care of setting up everything for you with Bandhavgarh park, you just need to take your ID with you. It’s important to have good guides on safaris who can track the tigers and find them – and Samode has the best naturalists!

There are two safaris, each lasting around five hours. There is sunrise and sunset. The park is closed at lunch time. Both have equal amounts of visitors so it’s not that one is better than the other, although they said it’s more likely to see a tiger in the morning than evening.

Not just tigers are there, but leopards, jackals, deer, sambar, monkeys and more. There actually aren’t wild elephants here usually but lately, they have started coming into this park – but it’s not something that has been in the past so it causes issues with the safari meaning sometimes a zone will need to be shut. Wild elephants can be dangerous. The elephant above is a rangers – these are used to make sure tigers stay in the park and it helps keep the villagers safe.

Our first tiger sighting was so cool. First off, they are hard to see! They really do blend in – those stripes work! But, our tiger was sitting there while a buffalo walked up to it. At first, I thought that the tiger would attack but it actually ran off scared! Blurry shot I know, but it happened so fast.

On the morning safari, all the cars come together (not just Samode) and have a little breakfast snack at a meeting point. there is a real breakfast when you get back to the lodge but it’s nice to have some fruit, sandwiches, coffee, and just relax a second. Samode set up such a cute picnic.

Right before leaving the first morning, we went to the water hole and saw a tiger walk up for a drink. It was magical – we watched him for ten minutes!

I have two more posts coming about what to expect on the actual safari and then what to pack and wear for safari so stay tuned. If you want a boutique or luxury stay, then look no further than Samode. They are my favorite hotel chain in India (they have just four properties) and a safari is a once in a lifetime experience so spending a bit more for the time of your life to be absolute bliss, is 1000% worth it to me!

Seeing tigers and the safari is amazing, but the lodge, the food, the room and the people you are around make up the experience as a whole and Samode offers it all at their best.

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10 Essential Tips for Goa Nightlife

Rachel Jones — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 13:08:03 +0000

Goa has gorgeous beaches, amazing flea markets, tasty unique seafood, and some of the nicest people I’ve met in my travels. After living there five years, I have done my fair share of partying and it seems like although the sea is the draw for families, the parties are the draw for the travelers and backpackers. I’m going to share a few essential tips for Goa nightlife so you can enjoy it. These are the tips I’d give my friends before they visit. Everyone sees Goa differently, so keep in mind these are just my personal tips that I think travelers passing through would appreciate.

Don’t forget to pick up my Insider Guide to Goa and my Guide to India

General Goa Travel Tips

10 Essential Tips for Goa Nightlife

1 You Don’t Need to Over-Plan to Find a Party

Goa IS a party. Don’t come to Goa looking for a party, it will find you. Just be open, make friends, chat with people and ask around about the best parties. Sometimes the less commercial ones that are more underground are even better so just see what pops up. Of course, there are some epic clubs you can go to if you don’t hear of anything crazy going on and still have an awesome time.

2. Meet Friends Before You Head Out

Don’t go out alone. Regardless of how chill Goa is, it has it’s dark side, too, like any place. It’s not a good idea (male or female) to go out alone. Try to meet a friend at your guesthouse or hostel to help keep each other safe.

3. Don’t Take Drugs at Bars and Clubs

Goa is known for its drugs, that can’t be denied. You’ll find that people might offer them to you in public places – just know that there are undercover police in Goa, in bars/clubs. Drugs are illegal in Goa and even if it seems Goa or India, in general, is “lawless”, it is not and you don’t want to end up in an Indian jail!

4. Think About Transportation Before You Are Drunk

When you leave a party at 2 AM you can bet the taxi drivers are charging a lot more than when you got dropped off. Don’t drive drunk and if you need to, leave your scooter where it is to pick it up the next day. If you know a driver you can call then do that, if not then be prepared to pay a higher price for a late night taxi. It’s a good idea in Goa if you find a driver who is nice and not cheating you to take their number and call them – the loyalty to them will help keep the prices fair throughout your trip. Don’t forget to tip if you do this! It will be appreciated!

5. Don’t Leave the Bars With Strangers Alone

If you meet some new friends at the bar, I do not recommend going home with them. I know you think you might do this all the time back home, but it’s different here. Roads are dangerous, winding, and dark – no street lights, no people around in the villages you’ll go through. It’s just not safe because if something happens and you do need help, you likely will not be able to get it. Either meet them the next day OR wake up and realize they were actually just cool because you were wasted, jk ;)

6. Do Inquire About Cover Charges Before You Head Out

Nothing is worse than getting a taxi out to a party to find out they want 2,000 INR per person to enter. See if you can message them on Facebook or if they have a flyer up on their Facebook with the cover charge fee. December and January will often have parties with covers even at places that don’t even seem that awesome. Sometimes they won’t let dudes in alone – only couples or women.

7. On NYE, Stick to One Place Only

New Years is the highest cover charge of the year and with that along with the traffic, it’s not a time to be party hopping. It’s best to choose ONE place and just stay there. You might think the grass is greener, but the second you leave that party for a new one and sit in traffic for 30 minutes at 1 AM you’ll end up just going home, buzz gone.

8. Don’t Miss Hilltop at Least Once

Even if you aren’t into trance Hilltop is one of the greatest party places in the world. Trance isn’t my thing, I’ll admit, and while all my friends go to Hilltop weekly, it was never my vibe. But I appreciate the history of Goa and these parties and this music is what made Goa the tourist destination that is today. It’s worth it to go see why and you might find that it’s a type of music you love, that you never even knew about.

9. Sometimes a Boozy Dinner is Where It’s At

Places like Thalassa are awesome to go for a boozy dinner. They have performaces, a great sunset, and it turns into a huge party most nights with people dancing on tables and spraying champagne. You’ll have a table to sit at, waiters to bring you drinks, and no cover charge. That is so much better than standing in a crowded club fighting at the bar for a drink. Other than Thalassa, you can go to so many other beachside restaurants for boozy meals and even chilled places. Those are the best nights!

10. Look Into the Festivals

Goa does have festivals throughout the year like Sunburn, the Reggae at Riva, Sunsplash and GOAT – although some get canceled last minute due to police permissions not being legit. You’ll want to just ask around if any festivals are on while you are there. You’ll see flyers for the most party. Keep in mind, they are never free! Sometimes pretty cool people play like Wiz Khalifa, so you’re going to have to pay to get in.

Want to know WHERE to party?

Here are my 20 favorite clubs in Goa
and the 7 best beaches for Goa nightlife
These are the 5 best places to party in Goa

For where to stay, I recommend looking on Hostelworld if you are a single traveler or with just one friend. You can pre-game there and meet people to go out with. If you’re in a group, I recommend renting a villa. With Airbnb, you can use this link to get $40 off your first stay when you make an account from that link.

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20 Best Nightclubs in Goa For an Epic Time

Hippie in Heels — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 23:38:08 +0000

We’re going to guess you are reading this because you want to party your ass off in Goa. And who doesn’t? Goa is known for its epic parties, beach parties, and underground raves. We’re going to share the top 20 nightclubs in Goa from the beach to commercial – the ones that people keep going back to year after year and promise a good time.

It was hard to narrow it to 20 because there are so many more. Some are smaller ones that pop up just twice a season as popup parties and others that are so small and quiet that it’s not really everyone’s vibe. These clubs in Goa are ones that really fit the bill for everyone.

Don’t forget to pick up our Insider Guide to Goa and Guide to India

20 Best Nightclubs in Goa

1. Shiva Valley, Anjuna

Shiva Valley always takes the top nightlife in Goa position because it’s one of the originals and has been around forever. Don’t miss their epic Tuesday parties.

2. Curlies, Anjuna

Curlies is the go-to for that Goa beach party you’ve always heard about. Head here on Thursdays.

3. Hilltop, Vagator

Hilltop is the most epic place for a trance party, hands down. Sundays is where it’s at! They also have a brand new “Goa Collective” Friday all-day market.

4. Larive Beach Resort, Vagator

Great outdoor techno parties with beautiful sunset views.

5. Chronicle, Vagator

Chronicle you can dress up, party hard, and have the most epic views and sunset.

6. Monkey Valley, Chapora

Monkey Valley is a old-school trance party place.

7. Soro – Boshed In Goa, Assagao

Techno party every Tuesday at Soro – if techno is your thing then don’t miss this.

8. Soro – Down n Dirty, Assagao

Hip Hop night every Thursday at Soro – old school tunes and one of the only Hip Hop scenes in Goa!

9. Sinq Nightclub, Candolim

Commercial vibes, busy, and one you can dress up for.

10. Cohiba, Sinquerim

Best for Saturday nights with live music and lots of dancing.

11. Cafe Mambos, Baga

Young people getting wasted and listening to hip-hop and other commercial music, on a strip of bars that has that same vibe. You can bar hop.

12. Cape Town Cafe, Baga

Young people getting wasted and listening to hip-hop and other commercial music, on a strip of bars that has that same vibe. You can bar hop.

13. Cocktails and Dreams, Baga

Young people getting wasted and listening to hip-hop and other commercial music, on a strip of bars that has that same vibe. You can bar hop.

14. Leopard Valley, Palolem

The best party in South Goa, between Palolem and Agonda.

15. Club Re:Fresh, Morjim

Always a great party and one of the only ones in Morjim.

16. Marbela, Ashwem

The epic white party happens here along with others throughout the year. You can also stay in huts here.

17. Cavala, Baga

Best to go on a Friday for live retro music, lots of dancing and salsa. You can have dinner here too.

18. Riva, Mandrem

Love the reggae parties here! They are on Fridays and then sometimes a weekend festival.

19. Rockwater, Ashwem

Rockwater throws epic parties, check when they are “on”.

20. Ash Arambol, Arambol

Ash is the best in Arambol with parties from reggae to trance.

There we go, 20 best clubs in Goa. You can’t go wrong with any of these. Have fun!

Pin for later!

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7 Best Beaches in Goa for Nightlife

Rachel Jones — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 13:28:43 +0000

Goa is unique in that so many of it’s best parties are right on the beach or up on cliffs overlooking the sea. It makes for an awesome backdrop to an even better party. As you might already know, Goa has some of the best parties in the world and while raves in Goa are more underground, they are still happening. This article will break down the best beaches in Goa for nightlife and for that epic Goa beach your friends are dying for!

Don’t forget to pick up my Insider Guide to Goa and my Guide to India

For more on Goa check out these posts:

7 Best Beaches in Goa for Nightlife

1. Anjuna

Shiva Valley and Curlies are always a good choice and both are next to each other (sort of) of Anjuna Beach. Shiva Valley parties are on Tuesdays and have a cover charge. Curlies is on Thursdays usually but really it’s always a fun place to go chill and drink, day or night. For the Thursday party, there is a cover charge. Another place to hit up in Anjuna is Nyex Beach Club, which is where Club Paradiso used to be.

2. Vagator

While hilltop isn’t on the beach, it’s just up on the cliff above Vagator beach and you get those beach vibes up there. Hilltop is all about the trance parties and has it’s big parties Sundays but also just throws parties all year. I recommend following them on Facebook. You also have a more of a club scene at Waters which has house nights and is right on the cliffside of Vagator with awesome views.

For more trance scene, there is also 9 Bar on the cliff, that is pretty cool and will sometimes throw huge parties. There is sometimes a cover charge.

Chronicle is more down on the beach, on the lower part of the cliff. They throw awesome parties with a mix of house, techno, and trance. There is usually a cover charge and again, I recommend you follow them on Facebook to keep up to date on parties.

3. Ashwem

Marbela in Ashwem is where the famous white party is each year. You can also stay in the rooms there for around 5,000 INR per night. Sunset Ashram is pretty cool and has an “Ibiza” vibe. They throw some cool huge parties throughout the year. Rockwater is another that has some great parties throughout the year.

Riva is a favorite of mine for their reggae parties and festivals.

Club Fresh in Morjim is a pretty cool spot to check out as well.

4. Arambol

All along Arambol Beach, there is a cool hippie vibe. People set up a little sunset market and drum circle each night in the peak season. They have epic carnivals were you can dress up “sunburn” style. A few places to pop into would be Psy Bar & Nightclub, Mango Tree, and Arkan Bar.

Ash Arambol did some cool reggae parties this year and also do trance and house music.

5. Baga Beach

Baga Beach is where people really let loose. This is more of an Indian crowd with less foreign travelers partying here. Clubs like Titos, Cafe Mambos, Cape Town Cafe, and Cocktails and Dreams will all be packed to the brim on the weekend playing commercial music and serving cheap drinks.

6. Candolim Beach

For a proper “club” experience, you might want to check out both Sync and LPK in Candolim. They have that vacation vibe with cabanas in the club, pools, and you can really dress up here. These are not Goa trance parties but are more commercial with hip-hop as well. This is in my opinion, more for the youngsters partying in Goa like 18-25 or so.

7. Palolem

Leopard Valley in between Palolem and Agonda is the best place to party in South Goa. They have some huge parties throughout the year. Silent Noise Club in Palolem (Canacona) is another cool place to check out when you are in the south for a “silent disco”.

Best places to stay in Goa for nightlife.

While there are more beaches to party at, these are the places that have the most epic “Goa style” parties. If you plan to stay on the beach in these places so you can walk to them, I recommend searching on Hostelworld. These days there are so many hostels and if you’re in Goa to party, then you want to meet people and this is a great way to do that. Many hostels will have pre-gaming parties before big nights out. It’s also safer to go out with a group.

If you want to rent an Airbnb because you already have a group, that is the next best option as most villas in Goa will come with security and a housekeeper and you can then hang in one house much cheaper than separate rooms in a hostel or hotel. If you do use Airbnb, sign up for your account through this link and when you do book your first stay later on, you’ll get an automatic $40 off.

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10 Travel Essentials For India

Rachel Jones — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:37:45 +0000

India is a diverse country with mountains, deserts, jungles, the beach, and busy cities. Packing for India can feel like a daunting task, but as long as you have these 10 travel essential for India in your luggage or backpack, you’ll be just fine.

After traveling India and living there for six years, I have been on trips to such a wide variety of places and traveled both in sleeper class trains on a budget and on a more mid-range budget. I put a lot of thought into this list after so many people who had already read my complete packing list for India had emailed me asking what else they could bring because they felt unprepared.

This list is more about gadgets than it is clothing. If you’re interested in what clothing to wear, here is a list for what men should pack as well as a list for what women should pack (and another post with the dos and donts of how women should dress.

10 Travel Essentials For India

1. Mummy Sleeping Bag Liner

I use my sleeping bag liner constantly in India. Sleeper buses and sleeper class trains (overnight, lower class) do not have blankets and they are not clean by any means. Getting into a light, clean, cocoon makes it so much easier to sleep AND it means you can bring your purse inside with you and hold onto it while you sleep. That’s what I do! I actually would get into mine when I stayed in guesthouses that had just a basic sheet because it felt cozier in my sleeping bag liner. This balls up tiny and takes up basically no space. I kept mine in a side pocket of my backpack.

If you are doing any camping or trekking, you’ll definitely want a [easyazon_link identifier=”B0009PUSO4″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]sleeping bag[/easyazon_link] too. I take a sleeping bag on all backpacking adventures in India (in addition to the sleeping bag liner) and use carabiners to attach it to the outside bottom of my backpack. These days, I usually travel in the 2nd or 3rd calls AC trains or sleeper buses that can get quite cold. Although they give you blankets, they aren’t clean and I need a clean space to sleep so cuddle up in my sleeping bag. This one is very lightweight and squishes up the size of a football.

2. Bike Chain

Bike chains are so key! I use this 4-foot chain. I don’t know that they are that popular for backpackers, but I used it on every train and bus ride that I was sleeping on – I would just chain my backpack to the train/bus and leave it there. I could then keep my purse/daypack with me in the sleeping bag and zip it up so that I was snug and safe, not worrying about my backpack being stolen during one of the many stops on the train.

3. Good Earplugs / Sleeping Mask

India can be quite loud, as you’ve probably read. Not only are trains and buses noisy (there is a habit here or playing YouTube videos and music from cell phones out loud, without headphones), but guesthouses often have sounds of horns, dogs fighting, people yelling the item they are selling loudly in Hindi… it can be hard to sleep. These take up no space and you’ll use them every night. Don’t leave them behind and don’t just get any earplugs. Some DO work better than others, like [easyazon_link identifier=”B00IT5MHWW” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]these earplugs[/easyazon_link]. I also prefer the Slip silk sleeping mask because it’s better for your skin (plus, so comfortable).

4. Comfortable Shoes

Of course, you’ll want a great pair of shoes to wear for every day walking. Everyone’s feet are different so think about what you wear in real life. Do you wear Converse every day? Toms? Are you a [easyazon_link keywords=”Birkenstock” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Birkenstock[/easyazon_link] person? Don’t go crazy trying to buy a “travel” shoe. Personally, I like to wear Chacos and [easyazon_link keywords=”Tevas” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Tevas[/easyazon_link] as travel sandals when I’m doing intense sight-seeing but when I want to look cute, I wear leather sandals and like brands like Franco Sarto (so affordable, the [easyazon_link identifier=”B006V1NYKA” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Gia sandal[/easyazon_link] is a favorite), and Reef flip-flops. For tennis shoes and boots, I also go for Teva or [easyazon_link keywords=”Keen” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Keen[/easyazon_link].

5. Portable Charger & Power Surge Protector

Whoops, I snuck two into this one. But, they kind of go together. Often, your guesthouse will have just one plug in the room and bringing a [easyazon_link identifier=”B00ATZJ5YS” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]power strip with surge protection[/easyazon_link] is really a good idea because it will protect whatever you are charging in case a “power surge” comes through the electricity. Remember that India’s is like 2x more powerful than the USA – I would know, I got electrocuted one! Protect your computer, phone, and camera. You’ll also need a [easyazon_link identifier=”B01N59M473″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]world adapter[/easyazon_link] to plug anything into the Indian plugs!

Secondly, charge up this hardcore [easyazon_link identifier=”B0194WDVHI” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]portable charger[/easyazon_link] to keep with you while traveling. You’ll be using your phone a lot for Google Maps, Uber, checking out places to go on my blog posts (ha, ha) and you don’t want your phone to die when you’re out and don’t know your way back home. If you’re wondering how to stay connected, check out this post on how to get a SIM card in India.

6. Solar Powered Travel Alarm Clock

While on overnight trains and buses, there are several stops and you might need to set an alarm clock in case yours is at 4 AM, for example. While you can easily use your phone – you might find that your phone battery is about to die! Trains have chargers in 2AC but they are not always working and power surges can damage your phone so I try not to use them. Buses won’t have a charger unless you are on a VIP bus – they sometimes do. In these cases, I use a [easyazon_link identifier=”B00NEL8LAI” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]solar powered travel alarm clock[/easyazon_link] and have used this one for almost 10 years without it going caput!

7. Travel Pillow

DO take your own pillow. You’ll need this not only on the long flight to India, but buses, trains, and even in hotels. Indian hotels have the HARDEST, thinnest pillows. They are often so bad that I use a sweatshirt instead! Bring this exact pillow: the Thermarest. It rolls up thin enough to be put into the side pocket of your backpack and then the down alternative fluffs back up into the softest pillow that is actually big enough to feel like a real pillow. While I love the TRTL pillow for flights and sleeping sitting up, for travel in India, this is the pillow you need.

8. Filtered Water Bottle

I’ve recently been using a [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SLG1OM8″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]filtered water bottle[/easyazon_link] in Mexico where I live now and am excited to take it back to India when I go. It’s incredible! It really changes things to not have to go buy a bottle of water all the time and just be able to fill this up and trust that it will be safe to drink. The bottle isn’t expensive and neither is the water bottles in India – so it’s not about the money – but more the freedom of having water in the middle of the night when you need it and realizing that you’ve run out. If you haven’t traveled somewhere that has water you can’t drink from the tap, then you might not realize how strange it is to not have water in the middle of the night if you forgot to buy a bottle before bed. In addition, it’s much better for the environment!

9. Lightweight Day Pack

Men and women need a day pack! [easyazon_link keywords=”osprey day pack” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]These little Osprey “daylite” ones[/easyazon_link] are great. Wearing a purse strap across your shoulder (women) can be really uncomfortable over time and make your shoulders hurt. Backpacks give you some relief. You’ll want this for treks, long sightseeing days, when you know you’ll be shopping, and for overnight trips like camel safaris when you need to leave your main backpack behind. These are key and are also able to be your carry-on. I recommend keeping this empty and packed into your luggage so that when you leave India and have somehow acquired more things, you can use this as a carry-on.

10. Headlamp

I used my [easyazon_link identifier=”B01KYTQ5UA” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Petzl headlamp[/easyazon_link] all the time and actually just love having it around even at home when I have to go out and search for the dogs or the power goes out! It’s so convenient. I love it for reading on sleeper buses or trains. In guesthouses, you’ll find that the power goes out often and this is key even for getting up to go to the bathroom. You won’t regret it!

Bonus:

I tried to keep the list short BUT if I could add a few more things, I would say this raincoat which is so lightweight but warm if you need it to be, [easyazon_link keywords=”Darn Tough wool socks” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Darn Tough wool socks[/easyazon_link] if you’re going to be in North India in the winter, and a microfiber towel.

Pin these travel essentials for India:

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Men’s India Packing List

Rachel Jones — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 12:41:23 +0000

Over the last six years traveling and Iiving in India, I have written a lot about what women should pack and wear here and given many outfit examples. Men ask me “what should we pack, though?!”, and I always think it’s so easy for you guys – that I put off writing a post about it. BUT I decided that it’s really not that easy for guys who also need to think about the culture, heat, and limited space when they pack so here we go, a men’s packing list for India!

If you’ve wound up here but are a girl, here are some posts that you’ll want to read: ultimate backpacking for India packing list, what to wear in India (outfit ideas), and the do’s and don’ts of how to dress in India

Men’s India Packing List

Packing for India for men doesn’t have to be much different than the way you would pack for SE Asia, Central America, or even a trip around the USA! You don’t have to think *too* much about it because while women have to follow strict rules on what is “okay” here in India like covered their shoulder, knees, cleavage, and more, men don’t have these rules.

Men can wear sleeveless shirts (tank tops) with shorts (not those trendy super short ones, just normal length ones) and be fine for everyday wear.

As you can see, Ben is wearing boardies and a tee shirt in Hampi, which is what he wears literally every day – he probably didn’t even pack anything else for this trip!

Ben in a tee shirt and linen shorts, easy peasy!

When my dad visited he wore a tee shirt, shorts, and some leather sandals, I don’t think he ended up needing his jeans at all but he didn’t go up north

Backpack or Luggage

The majority of men travelers will choose a backpack. This is what I suggest for you. I would bring a 45L. For women who are packing a lot and shopping more, I tell them to bring a 65L. For men, a 45L would suffice even for a long trip and you can bring it carry-on on the domestic flights if you choose to fly. I recommend shopping at REI for backpacks because they are very affordable, durable, and have a great exchange and return policy.

Men’s 45 REI backpack – click there to see it on the REI site.

Men’s India Packing List Part 1: Clothing

When thinking about clothing to pack, you need to first consider what areas of India you are going to and what time of year. Peak travel season in India is October to March. If you are going to be in South India at that time it’ll be hot. If you are going to be in North India (Delhi even) you will need a coat as it’ll be cold. If you are going to the mountains, you’ll want real winter clothing. If you are coming to India in the off-season, that is the rainy time and you’ll want to consider clothing that is easily drying and even a raincoat or backpack protector.

I had Ben help me with this list and he just wears random jeans and tee shirts, so I’m not going to link to specific brands for clothing. You know what you like!

Jeans – for men, I say to bring them as you’ll want them for any nice dinner, bars, or nightclubs in India. Although it’s hot in the South, it does it cool in the North.
7 tee shirts – enough for the week and then you can do laundry. Pack tee shirts you actually like not “traveler” ones, you’ll want to feel like yourself not a tourist
2 tank tops – if you wear tanks tops (I don’t know if boys really like these) then you can bring a couple for the warm beach town
Comfy pants for yoga or hiking – are you going to try yoga or do active things? Bring one pair of your favorite activewear pants or you can buy “ali baba” pants in India but then you’ll really stand out as a tourist. I don’t recommend it!
1 button-up shirt – if you have ideas of going out to nicer places like restaurants, 5-star hotels, or bars, then you’ll want one nice shirt you can wear with jeans. I prefer linen button-ups because they look nicer and breathe well.
Warm sweater or sweatshirt – Bring your favorite cozy cover-up for A/C buses and trains that are too cold, airports, or for when you are in the North in the winter.[easyazon_link keywords=”Prana men” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Prana[/easyazon_link] makes great stuff for men.
Coat – if you are going to the mountains in winter bring a coat, if you are going to India in the summer, bring a raincoat
7 pairs of undies/boxers
1 pair of sandals that can get wet ([easyazon_link keywords=”Teva men” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Teva[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link keywords=”Chaco men” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Chaco[/easyazon_link], and [easyazon_link keywords=”Keen men” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Keen[/easyazon_link]Keen are great brands) or just bring flip flops if you know you are not going to be doing anything adventurous
1 pair of boots if you are going trekking (only bring if you are going trekking!) Keen does great boots.
1 pair of tennis shoes if you are very active and will be exercising or are the type to wear tennis shoes instead of sandals in your daily life. If you are bringing boots/tennies, then bring socks.
1 swim trunk
1 hat & sunglasses
If you’re going to the mountains for hard-core trekking or the jungle for safaris then bring an extra pair of adventure pants like the quick-dry style, and a long-sleeve shirt you can layer. If you are going to be in cold areas, then you might want gloves, a wool hat, and wool socks, but remember you can buy all this stuff in India if you are doing a long trip. You might want to bring a light down jacket.

Men’s India Packing List Part 2: Other stuff

1 light microfiber towel – some hostels and guesthouses won’t have one and you can take it to the beach
Some type of light sarong, scarf, or a jacket that you can throw over your head if you need to cover your head for a temple. Don’t have one? That’s normal, just buy one for 100 Rs. in India
Toiletries – just the basic stuff you always use. You can get anything you need in India so don’t stress. I would just bring carry-on sizes and restock as you go. Don’t forget sunscreen and bug spray.
Baby wipes and toilet paper for the restrooms – you can stock up as you go.
Head-lamp – I used mine all the time
Sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner – I love my REI travel sack sleeping bag and my cocoon mummy liner and used them on all train rides as well as sleeper buses, if you are backpacking you will need at least a liner but a sleeping bag, too, if you’ll be in the North. It’s also great for use when in a cheap guesthouse that only gives you a sheet.
Master lock chain – lock your bag up on trains and buses so you can sleep
Thermarest travel pillow – is small and fits in the side pocket of your bag but expands into a big enough pillow to properly sleep on. It’s often more comfortable than the pillows offered in guesthouses.
Medical kit – a tiny little supply of things just in case, you can read here what I suggest taking
Travel alarm clock – solar powered and perfect for waking up on trains and buses before your stop in case your phone has died.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B074CRS574″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]World power adapter[/easyazon_link]- you’ll need this but if you are brining more than just a phone, you might want a small surge protector strip as well.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00X5RV14Y” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Portable charger[/easyazon_link] – so your phone doesn’t die!
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06WGPWDKS” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]A daypack[/easyazon_link] – since you’re a dude that probably isn’t carrying a purse, I would bring a very lightweight backpack. It’s great for when you are going to be out all day and will have your camera, jacket, maybe buy a couple of things, or to throw in sunglasses or a hat. You’ll also want this if you are going on an overnight trek or camel safari so you can leave your main bag behind. You can later use this as a carry-on and check your main backpack if you do some shopping in India.
Filter water bottle – here’s a post about the pro’s and con’s so you can decide.

common denominator from playing around in Goa to the vet in Mumbai to a roadside chai stop on the Maharastra coast: board shorts and a tee shirt, maybe now you can see why I thought boys didn’t need to think about what to wear in India!

I mean this is what I’m working with, lol, this is Ben at the airport off to a very important business meeting, barefoot!

Before You Go to India

Budget Tip for Getting Here + Around With My India Guide Ebook

Of course, I have to say pack my book (even though it’s on your phone or Kindle). I do think that my India guide will make sure you have the most stress-free trip while seeing all the top attractions here (no FOMO!). You can read more about my book on India here. I have been here over 6 years now and put all the tips I have in this book along with itineraries (with custom maps) and made it a real path you can follow.

Before You Come, You NEED These 2 Things

Travel Insurance. I use World Nomads which is what Lonely Planet recommends and you can read here what is and isn’t included in their plans.
A VISA. Click here to see what you need and how to get it.

For more tips, check out how to book trains online in India, how to budget under $20 a day in India, and how to get connected with a SIM card in India.

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8 Romantic Things to do in Goa

Rachel Jones — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:09:18 +0000

Goa is a gorgeous beach destination with honey-moon style hotels, so of course, there are a lot of romantic things to do in Goa. However, I have not done many of them. Although I met Ben here and have been living here and dating him for six years, I am not into all the mushy gushy stuff. Based on what you guys search, you are, though! So, I’m going to answer this question the best that I can. Here are some romantic things to do in Goa.

Don’t forget to pick up my Insider Guide to Goa and my Guide to India

General Goa Travel Tips

9 Romantic Things to Do in Goa

1. Rent out a luxe boat for sunset dinner and drinks

You can rent out a yacht or cool speedboat from loads of different places here. They usually have options for when to go like a sunset dinner or even a champagne breakfast if you’d rather start your day all loved up. When you rent, it will be just you and your partner plus the boat staff. They will wait on you hand and foot! Hospitality in India is amazing at luxury hotels and events. Consider Vaayu or the Woof Woof boat.

2. Couple massage and spa day

You can try out the Indian style massage called Ayurvedic or do a deep-tissue massage and have it side by side with your sig other. My favorite spa is Snips but they don’t offer this – most 5-star hotels do: Grand Hyatt offers 50% off on Sundays if you go to brunch. I love Alila Diwa and the new W Hotel is a Clarin’s spa.

3. Jungle safari

Try to spot a leopard at Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. This is near Molen, Goa in the Western Ghats. I recommend just going for the day and then heading back to your nice hotel. You can drive it easily from South Goa. You might see a cobra or python and have to grab your boyfriend for help because you are scared? Is that romantic, lol?

4. Weekend on a houseboat in the Chapora River

There are houseboats that you can rent from various places similar to the way you can rent a yacht. These houseboats are just like the famous boats in Alleppey, Kerala. I have had friends go out on the boat for the weekend. They ate homestyle Goan food and slept on the boat, in an A/C room. Breakfast was ready for them in the morning at sunrise!

5. Stay in a cute beach shack

There are a lot of “upscale” beach shacks you can stay in as well as a few Portuguese houses on the beach. My favorites for the luxury romantic vibe would be:

Elsewhere (restored Portuguese homes on the sand)
Yab Yum (little huts covered in straw)
Palm Grove (Bali-style and bohemian)

6. Take a hot air balloon ride

You can go out with Tiger Balloons who are the only company that offers rides. They meet just outside of Panjim and go only in good weather. You can then see the tens of thousands of coconut trees down below and the rivers that snake through them.

7. Have a luxe hotel stay with rose petals in the bath and a butler

If you’re going to do this, there is no better option than the Alila Diwa club rooms. I have stayed with them three times, and it’s amazing. You will have your own pool and restaurant (shared by other club rooms), and personal butler. They will do things for you that you don’t even think of like run a bath after the end of the day filled with rose petals. The food at “Spice” is fantastic and it’s a very romantic spot.

8. Hire a chef to come to your Airbnb

You can hire cooks here in Goa that will come to your house. The first one that comes to mind is Mona’s Pantry. As she’s English, I have hired her to make Ben’s favorite dishes from home on special occasions – like a steak and ale stew. She is also part Indian and her chef-husband is from Peru so they can make a huge variety of yummy foods and bring along chocolate covered strawberries with it. For a great Airbnb, check out these places.

For more tips on Goa, you can get my 170-page ebook. Read more about it here.

Pin these romantic things to do in Goa for later:

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Do You Need a Filtered Water Bottle For India Travel?

Rachel Jones — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:02:52 +0000

Whether or not to get a filtered water bottle for India travel is something I am asked about at least once a week – and it’s asked in my India travel tips Facebook group often. I thought I’d go ahead and address it in a blog post so all the information is here in one place for you! I lived and traveled in India since 2012 and I never used a filtered water bottle.

When traveling, I would buy bottled water (20 INR around $1) or if I was in a nice tourist-friendly restaurant, I would drink filtered water (served free). While bottled water is the safest choice, many people either 1. don’t trust it or 2. want to do something more environmentally friendly, especially in India where there is a trash problem.

FAQ about water in India:

Can you drink the tap water? No, never.
Do locals drink tap water? Some do, yes. I would say the majority of the population does not have access to filtered or bottled water.
Do people get sick from the water? Yes, I know multiple people who have had typhoid in India. A reader messaged me that she got dysentery due to drinking “filtered” water in India. Many people I know get giardia from the water and get extemely sick for months.
Can you drink bottled water? Yes, you can safely drink bottled water. People say to check that the lid is truly sealed when you buy it, but don’t stress, in six years, I’ve never had an issue with “scam” bottled water.
Can you drink the filtered water restaurants offer? I do. The only time I wouldn’t is at a roadside “dhabba” or basically, a place that doesn’t look clean, is very rural, or is not used to tourists. Although filters are used in places that serve filtered water to Western tourists or Indian tourists, you don’t know that the filter has been serviced and is working properly. If you’re nervous, bottled is, of course, your safest option.
Do they recycle empty plastic bottles if I use them? Some places do, in fact, even some slums have big recycling centers but it’s likely they just end up piled up in a landfill or burnt on the side of the road.
What are the best brands of bottled water? I drink them all. Bisleri, Kinley, Aquafina, Himalaya, Baileys, and more are brands you’ll encounter.
Is bottled water expensive? No. It is around 30 cents (USD). for a big 1 liter bottle. If you are somewhere for a while, you can buy a 5-liter jug for just over $1.
My Indian friends drink the filtered water in all the small restaurants we go to and say I should too, should I? No. While they cannot become immune to diseases like typhoid, locals can build up a tolerance to bacteria that can make you very sick. So, even if they tell you they drink the water at this place for years and never get sick – the same rules do not apply to you.
Can I have food that has ice in it? If you are at a nice place or one that caters toward western tourists, the ice will be filtered water. Street food will not use filtered water: that goes for lassi, pani puri, and literally anything else with water in it. If you’re unsure you can always ask if it’s filtered water.
Can I brush my teeth with the tap water? I do. Some don’t. Definitely just up to you!
Can I drink from a stream in the mountains? No. Just don’t drink natural water from the source in India. As one reader told me, she did this and when she had a throat infection later, learned there was a power plant upstream.

Read more: For tips on eating street food and healthy food in India, check out this article which will help keep you from getting Delhi belly in India! This article will talk about how in shape you need to be to travel to India. Read up on sustainable travel in India with that post by Shivya Nath.

Options for a filtered water bottle for India travel

If you would rather bring a filtered water bottle, usually the biggest concern is if the bottle will clean the water enough to make sure you won’t get sick. It’s important to bring a good quality bottle is this is the route you decide to take. Filtered bottles do NOT clean water completely in most cases. The water could have heavy metals in it (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, fluoride, nitrate, iron, insecticides and surfactants) which is also sometimes found in bottled water or viruses. Most are known for cleaning out the bacteria down to 1 or 2%. Bottled water in India is often kept at hot temperatures in the sun which could cause it’s own problems.

There are four brands that readers of Hippie in Heels swear by and they are mentioned over and over in my Facebook group when new members ask. More try it, and then tell about their experiences. It seems like any of these would be a good choice based on reader reviews. I’ll put the basics about them and prices so you can compare.

Sawyer

[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B005SO8VAE” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]

34-ounce BPA free water bottle with 0.1 Micron absolute hollow fiber membrane inline filter
Removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli; removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium
Designed to have a high flow rate for easy access to fresh, clean water; easily field maintainable

“I’ve spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda, East Africa. We were issued Sawyer filters and they work fantastically! I’m planning to travel India with my mini-Sawyer.” -Sage Morgan

SteriPEN

[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00NK9948M” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]

UV light destroys germs’ ability to reproduce and make you sick; The SteriPEN destroys over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa
Battery Life: Up to 50 treatments per charge and 300 charge discharge cycles; This is equivalent to 15,000 liters
Simple OLED display shows everything you need to know – treatment, lamp, and battery status; USB rechargeable from a computer, wall, or solar panel
Water Quality Association: SteriPEN tested and certified by WQA against US EPA Microbiological Water Purifier Standard

“I have this and it’s amazing! Purifies 1L of waterin 90 seconds and it’s USB. Yay for saving the planet! I’ve been using it for 5.5 months around India and Asia and it hasn’t failed me yet! Yes, some filters only rid bacteria and not viruses, but there are exceptions and the Steripen is a great example of one of them!” -Courtney Gonsky

LifeStraw

[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B01G7SQ8GS” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]

Award-winning LifeStraw hollow fiber membrane water filter removes bacteria and protozoa from lakes, streams to ensure safe, clean drinking water
2-stage activated carbon filter reduces odor, chlorine and leaves zero aftertaste
Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites without chemicals, iodine or batteries
Durable, 23-ounce, leak-proof bottle made of BPA-free Tritan and features a food-grade silicone mouthpiece; replacement filters available separately

“I purchased a Lifestraw water bottle and have actually tested it in a mucky puddle and I was surprised at how fresh the water tasted. I’m off to India in few days and this for me is a must” – Julia Webber

Water To Go

[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00SLG1OM8″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]

Unique Water-to-Go filter technology eliminates over 99.9% of all Bacteria, Viruses, Chlorine, Fluoride and Heavy Metals such as Lead to give you safe, healthy, clean drinking water
50cl capacity and weighs 98g (with filter in)
BPAFree Ergonomically designed with Textured grip area
Timer indicating when to change your filter which is effective for 130 Litres which is roughly 3 full bottles per day for 2 months.

“We have bottles from water to go. You can put any water in them and the filters remove everything.” -Wendy McLean

Probiotics and [easyazon_link identifier=”B0006LCQ4Q” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]activated charcoal tablets[/easyazon_link] are other things many people swear by. I personally have not tried them. You can buy them cheap on Amazon if it’s something you’re interested in.

PIN these tips on if you need a filtered water bottle for India travel:

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